Full text of "The doctrines of the Salvation Army and the Bible compared, or, Why I left the Salvation Army [microform]"

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•^THE DOGTIIMIES^

-OF THE —

SALVATION ARMY

-AND THE-

BIBLE CCTM PARED;

OR.

Wijy I left ttjc Sfl^i^ation AJ*n>y*

John T. dyoMORE.

CHAKLOTTETOWN. P. B. ISLAND:

1880.

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•^THE DOCT({INES^

— OF THE —

SALVATION ARMY

-AND THE —

BIBLE COMPARED;

OR,

Wl^y I left tl|e SalVatioi) Arn^y.

John T. Cudmore.

CHARI.OTTETOWN, 1'. E. ISLAND

1880.

^- <■

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•U

INTRODUCTORY REMARKS.

».

TThE author of this little book promised the public some
time ago to give them his reasons for leaving the
Salvation Army. 1 would have done so before this, had I
not been detained by other engagements. I make no pre-
tentions whatever to literary attainments. Bookmaking is
not my profession, and I am conscious of the many defects
there are in the composition of this work.

There is considerable repetition both in the language and
ideas used, especially on the subject of "Justification." This
is intentional, as by continually stating the way of salvation
the reader that is in darkness may be led into the light on
the subject.

My object in writing this pamphlet is to make men and
women happy, and bring honor and glory to God. If I
were actuated by any other motives I would have given up
the idea of writing it long ago ; and I believe that if thos*;
readers who are unsaved will only accept Christ as directed
herein, they cannot fail to have the peace in their souls that
passeth all understanding.

I honestly and firmly believe that the Salvation Army is
of the devil, and as such I do not hesitate to denounce it in
the strongest terms. If I thought it was of God, or that it
preached the right way of salvation, I would tremble to say
a word against it, — no amount of persuasion would induce
me to do it. I do not say there are no earnest or sincere
people in it, but I do not hesitate tousay that with all their
earnestness and zeal, the vast majority of them are still in
the dark; otherwise they could not but see the glaring errors
that are preached to them, day after day, and the bible tells
me "if the blind lead the blind both shall fall into the
ditch."

In order to make my arguments more weighty, I have
used the opinions of some of the most prominent men on
the side of Christianity that the world has ever known, and on

the subject of Justification, my object has been to give to the
pubhc the Ideas of those men whose opinions would have
far more weigf.t than my own. And even if the pubhc will

T. oinf "^ T^'u ""^ T ^P'"'^"' ^ ^'^ 'hem to consider
the opinions of those who have suffered to maintain the
cause^of truth, and above all to pay attention to the Word

This book is written in the plainest and simplest language
hZfi f'^l •!' '\' T'} "">^«^"ed can understand and be
to licfht hv f ''• "^".^ u '°"^? ''^ °"'y ^«d ^'^^ darkness
hllibor ^ ^ ^^ '"'^°' ""^^ ^" ^'^P'y ^^P^'d ^«r

John T. Cudmqre,

to the
have
ic will
isider
n the
Word

guage
nd be
knes8
d for

RE.

JUSTIFICATION.

disastrous in the extreme,
in thfe bible thai Satan
cunning and craftiness,
justification. He knows

^^O THING in this world is more important than for
m^ a soul to know how it is justified before God. How
it is freed from condemnation; on what grounds it is going
to be acquitted when it stands before the great white throne,
before which we must all appear. Mistakes here are

We believe there is no doctrine
seeks to pervert with so much
as he does the doctrine of
that if he can only get souls to
err on this point, he is sure of them, no matter how zealous
they may be, or how full of apparent good works, just as
sure he is of them as of the thief, the drunkard, or the
harlot. How important then that we rightly understand
this, because our eternal destiny hangs on it.

How sad to think, that, notwith»tanding all that has been
spoken and written, the world is, comparatively speaking, in
almost total darkness on this point. Men talk and preach
on minor points, and to a large extent fail to shew perishing
souls how they are freed from condemnation. Yet this is
the very thing that every unsaved man that is at all anxious
to be saved, is desirous of knowing. The question above all
others with them is, "what must I do to be saved?" and it
is to the answer of this question that this chapter is devoted.
God grant, that I may be the means in his hands, of leading
many souls from darkness to light, and from the power of
Satan unto God.

The Church of Rome teaches that we are justified by an
infused or inherent righteousness, or in other words, that we
are justified by the righteousness that is wrought in us by
the Holy Spirit. They claim also, that the Holy Spirit is
given to work this inward righteousness, on account of
Christ's having satisfied the demands of justice by His
death, and also that the Holy Spirit is received through
faith. They claim that the righteousness for which we are
going to be accepted when we stand before the Throne of

God, is a real and substantial purification of soul and body.
Of course this inward righteousness follows faith, but it is
not this righteousness that we are going to be accepted for.
The righteousness for which we are going to be accepted,
and for which we are accepted now, is the righteousness
of Jesus imputed to us.

The teaching of the SaK'ation Army, and the Romish
Church, on the doctrine of justification, are one and the
same. They both teach justification by inherent righteous-
ness, wrought in us through faith in God, by the Holy Spirit.
To prove this we refer our readers to the doctrine and dis-
cipline of the Salvation Army, page 91, which reads as
follows : "only a holy life, the outcome of love to God and
man, attained and maintained by the power of the Holy
Spirit, through faith in the blood of Christ, is essential to
salvation." This teaches justification by inherent righteous-
ness. It places justification in the holy lives we are enabled
to live by the spirit of God, or in other words, the good
works that God enables us to do. If this is not justification
by works what is it ? Instead of taking faith in what Christ
has done, as the only essential salvation, it takes a holy life
as the only essential, sfill, General Booth says that we
can do nothing either before or after we are converted, to
merit salvation, yet he says that our final justification, or our
acquittal before God's Throne, depends on our holy lives.
Such nonsense. Again, in page 78 of Doctrine & Discipline,
he says, "our final salvation is made to depend on our
continued obedience and faith." I submit it does not
depend on our continued obedience, that would be justifi-
cation by works, but it depends wholly and solely on our
continued faith, or in other words our continuing to depend
on the blood dindi righteousness of Jesus: our works are only
the outcome or evidence of our faith. They bear no part in
our justification. We are not going to be acquitted by
them. A soul is not justified by its works any more when
it stands before God's Throne, than it is when it first
comes to God, a hell-deserving creature, laden wil i sin. If
it were so the ground of our justification would be
changed, we would not be justified on the same grounds
when we stand before the Throne, as when we come to
God, laden with our sin and guilt. Who authorizes this

change in the ground of our justification, at these two
different periods? Not God. His word is positively against
it, it is purely from beginning to end an invention of the
devil, by which we believe he has deceived and destroyed
more souls since the days of the Blessed Saviour, than by
any other means.

Again, on page 73 of Doctrine and Discipline of S. A.,
General Booth, in speaking of the doctrine of imputed
righteousness, treats it with contempt. He explains it as
follows : " This passage {ist John: 1-8) is descriptive of and
applicable to those who, while acknowledging that they are
daily and hourly committing sin, yet delude themselves with
the notion that their sins are imputed to Christ and not
charged to them. By this they mean that no matter how
worldly, selfish, or even devilish they may actually be, their
sins were so dealt with by Christ that they are not imputed
to them, and that therefore while full of sin they are with-
out sin. Actually this doctrine is known as perfection in
Christ ; and it states that when God looks at His children,
He looks at them through His bon, and cannot or does not,
or will not see their sins, neither does he take any account
of them, nor hold them responsible for them ; that He
(God) looks at them not as they are, but as they ought to
be, and deals with them accordingly." We reply to General
Booth, in the words that " Christian " is said to have
answered " Ignorance " in Bunyan's *' Pilgrims' Progress,"
" Ignorance is thy name, and as thy name is so art thou.
Yea, thou also art ignorant of the true effect of saving faith
in this righteousness of Christ ; which is to bow and win
over the heart to God in Christ, to love his name, words,
ways and people, and not as thou ignorantly imaginest."
This dialogue, between ** Christian " and " Ignorance," bears
so directly on these two doctrines of impute4 and inherent
righteousness that we will insert part of it here. *' Christian "
believed in justification by imputed rightecusness, " Ignor-
ance" by inherent righteousness. The dialogue is as
follows :

" Ignorance. What are good thoughts concerning God ?

Chr. Even, as I have said concerning ourselves, when
our thoughts of God do agree with what the word saith of
him ; and that is, when we think of his being and attributes

as the word hath taught, of which I cannot now discourse
at large. But to speak of him in reference to us ; then have
we right thoughts of God, when we think that He knows us
better than we know ourselves, and can see sin in us when
and where we can see none in ourselves ; when we think
He knows our inmost thoughts, and that our heart, with all
its depths, is always open unto his eyes. Also, when we
think that all our righteousness stinks in His nostrils, and
that therefore he cannot abide to see us stand before Him
in any confidence, even of all our best performances.

Ignor. Do you think that I am such a fool as to think
that God can see no further than I ; or that I would come
to God in the bes* of my performances ?

Chr. . Why how dost thou think in this matter?
Ignor. Why to be short, I think I must believe in Christ
for justification.

Chr. How ? Think thou must believe in Christ, when
thou seest not thy need of Him ! Thou neither seest thy
original or actual imfirmities; but hast such an opinion of
thyself, and of what thou doest, as plainly renders thee
to be one thai did never see a necessity of Christ's personal
righteousness to justify thee before God. How then dost
thou say, I believe in Christ.

Ignor. I believe well enough for all that.
Chr. How dost thou believe ?

Ignor. I believe that Christ died for sinners, and that I
shall be justified before God from the curse, through his
gracious acceptance of my obedience to His law. Or thus :
Christ makes my duties that are religious, acceptable to his
Father by virtue of His merits, and so shall I be justified.

Chr. Let me give an answer to this confession of thy
faith :

ist. Thou believest with a fantastical faith ; for this faith
is nowhere described in the word.

2d. Thou believest with a false faith ; because it taketh
justification from the personal righteousness of Christ, and
applies it to thy own.

3d. This faith maketh not Christ a justifier of thy per-
son, but of thy actions, and of thy person for thy action's
sake, which is false.

4th. Therefore this faith is deceitful, even such as will

liscourse
len have
:nows us
us when
re think
with all
ivhen we
rils, and
ire Him
s.

to think
Id come

n Christ

St, when
east thy
inion of
;rs thee
Dersonal
len dost

that I
ugh his
)r thus :

to his
tified.

of thy

jis faith

taketh
St, and

hy per-
iction's

as will

leave thee under wrath in the day of God ^ Imighty ; for
true justifying faith puts the soul, as sensible of its lost con-
dition by the law, upon flying for refuge unto Christ's
righteousness, which righteousness of his is not an act of
grace by which he niaketh for justification thy obedience
accepted with God, but his personal obedience to the law,
in doing and suffering for us, what that requireth at our
hands ; this righteousness I say true faith accepteth ; under
the skirt of which the soul bein^^ shrouded, and by it pre
sented as spotless before God, it is accepted and acquitted
from condemnation.

Ignor. What? Would you have us trust to what Christ
in his own person has done without us? This conceit
would loosen the reins of our lust, and tolerate us to live
as we \kc ; for what matter how we live, if we may be
justified by Christ's personal righteousness from all, when
we believe it.

Chr. Ignorance is thy name, and as thy name is so art
thou ; even this thy answer demonstrateth what I say.
Ignorant thou art of what justifying righteousness is, and as
ignorant how to secure thy soul through the faith of it, from
the heavy wrath of God. Yea, thou also art ignorant of
the true effects of savi.ig faith in this righteousness of
Christ, which is to bow and win over the heart to God in
Christ, to love his name, his word, ways and people, and
not as thou ignorantly imaginest. The working of this
faith, I perceive poor Ignorance, thou art ignorant of. Be
awakened then, see thine own wretchedness, and fly to the
Lord Jesus, and by his righteousness, which is the righteous-
ness of God, thou shalt be delivered from condemnation.

Ignor. You go too fast, I cannot keep pace with you ;
do you go on before : I must stay a while behind.

Then said Christian to his companion, Hopeful, I much
pity this poor man ; it will certainly go ill with him at last.

Alas ! said Hopeful, there are abundance in our town in
his condition, whole families, yea, whole streets, and that of
pilgrims too."

Yes, and go ill with Ignorance it did ; he was carried
from the gate of Heaven, to the pit of hell. General
Booth is just in the same state of mind as Ignonmce
was. He (Ignorance) thought that to be justified by

Christ's personal righteousness, would loosen the reins of
his lust, and tolerate him to live as he pleased. He was
ignorant of the true effect of faith in Christ's righteousness.
So General Booth believes, that a person may accept Christ
as his Saviour, may believe that his sins are charged to
Christ, and that Christ's righteousness is charged to him,
and yet be worldly^ selfish^ and even devilish. He is just as
ignorant of the effects of saving faith, as poor "Ignorance" was,
and we doubt not, that unless he repent, and clothe himself in
the garment of Christ's righteousness, his end will be the
same. Yea, and the sad and bitter end of millions more.
John Bunyan could not have given us a better description of
the character and belief of the Salvation Army, had he seen
them, and heard them, than he has given us in the character
of " Ignorance." He (Ignorance) believed in justification by
inherent righteousness ; so does the Salvation Army. He
spurned the idea of justification by imputed righteousness;
so does the Salvation Army. He thought that to be justified
by Christ's personal righteousness being charged to us wafs
an encouragement to sin. General Eooth thinks the same.
Again, to prove to our readers that the Salvation Army
does not believe in the doctrine of imputed righteousness,
we refer then to the " War Cry" issue of December loth,
1887, where Mrs. Booth speaking of the doctrine, brands it
as one of the false Christs of the present day. She says,
another modern representation of the Christ is that of a
substitutionary Saviour, not in the sense of the atonement,
but in the way of obedience. This Christ is held up as
embodying in Himself the sum and substance of the
sinners' salvation, needed only to be believed in, that is,
accepted by the mind as the atoning sacrifice, and trusted
in as securing for the sinner all the benefits involved in his
death, without respect to any in-wrought change in the
sinner himself Mrs. Booth too in this passage shows most
conspicuously her ignorance of the effect of saving faith.
We defy Mrs. Booth to find a person on this earth that
has accepted Christ as his substitute, and is trusting in the
blood and righteousness of that substitute, in whose heart
there is no change. Why it is through accepting Christ this
way that the change is wrought. Whenever a soul is led to
see that all its righteousness is only as filthy rags, that

salvation comes to them solely through the righteousness of
Jesus, that the righteousness of the Saviour is charged to
them, and their sins charged to him, that moment is the
heart filled with a love that cannot be expressed, and with
a joy that knows no bounds. When people behold the
boundless love of God, their hearts are changed from hating
Him to loving Him, and, as the result of loving Him, their
desire is to do his will, the language of their heart is, " the
love of Christ constraineth me." No other representation
of Christ inspires me with a thousandth part of the love to
him, as the representation of Him as a substitutionary
Saviour, and to believe that it is for his personal righteous-
ness that I am going to be accepted, when I stand before
the throne. Mrs. Booth goes on to say, "the idea of a
substitutionary Christ, accepted as an outward covering or
refuge, instead of the power of an endless life, is a cheat of
the devil, and has been the ruin of thousands of souis."
Sad and woful ignorance of the effects of faith in Christ.
We need not quote any more to show to our readers that
the Salvation 'irmy, or their leaders at any rate, do not
believe in justification by imputed righteousness. They
scorn the idea and treat it with contempt. Well, if they do
not believe in justification by imputed righteousness, they
must believe in justification by inherent righteousness.
These are the only two ways in which it is possible for a
soul to be justified before God. I must either be justified
by the righteousness of another person being charged to me,
or, I must stand on my own ground and be justified by my
own righteousness or the righteousness wrought in me by the
Holy Spirit. These are the only two ways. To suppose that
I am justified by the latter way is to contradict Scripture, for
it makes my justification depend on the Spirit's work in me
instead of Christ's wo;k for me. If I am justified this way, I
would ne«*d to be entirely sanctified or made holy before I
could be justified. This doctrine would really place sanctifica-
tion before justification, because, if I have not a substitute to
stand in my place, or, if the righteousness of another person
is not charged to rne, then of necessity I must be pure
myself before I can I justified in God's sight, because,
God cannot look on sin with any degree of allowance,
some one must bear the punishment of sin, and if my sins

»''

have been imputed to Christ, then of necessity Christ's
righteousness is charged to me, otherwise I could not be set
free from the punishment of sin.

Again, justification cannot be by inherent righteousness,
because when a sinner first comes to God, he has no
righteousness in him ?it all, hence, in order for him to be
justified, the righteousness of another person must be
charged or imputed to him, and his sin must be imputed or
charged to another. God's law could not be honored in
any other way, and the claims of justice could not be met.
This every one will acknowledge. Well, if the righteousness
of Christ must be imputed to the sinner when he first comes
to God, in order that he may be justified, when does th6
justified man cease to need the imputation of Christ's
righteousness, or, when is the ground of his justification
changed from imputed to inherent righteousness? at what
period in the life of a christian does this transfer take place?
does the Scripture give us the slightest reason to r,uppose
that the ground of our acceptance with God is ever changed?
Not at all. The idea is absurd and unscriptural. I must
be acquitted or justified from condemnation on the same
conditions when I stand before the Great White Throne to
be judged, as I was when I first came to God, a poor,
trembling, hell-deserving sinner. And to suppose that when
I first came to God, I could be justified by an inherent
righteousness, is to suppose an impossibility, because I had
no inherent righteousness to be justified by. I had nothing
but sin to bring, and hence to be justified at all, the
righteousness of another person (Jesus Christ) had to be
charged to me, and I had to be looked upon as righteous,
through his obedience to the law instead of my own
obedience to it. God punished His Son for my disobe-
dience to His law, that he might be able to reward me for
Christ's obedience to that law ; in other words, God treated
His Son as though He were a sinner, though in reality
he was not, that He might be able to treat me as though I
were righteous, though in reality I am not. God could not
pardon sin in any other way. " He hath made Him to be
sin for us who knew no sin, that we might be ma(J*..the
righteousness of God in Him" — 2nd Cor. 5:21. Then
justification is by imputed righteousness, and the grounds

of our justification are never changed from Christ's wrrk
for us to the Spirit's work in u«. When I stand before the
Throne 1 am not going to be accepted for the holiness of
my heart, or for my freedom from sin, any more than I waa
when I came to God at first, laden with sins. Holinesii is only
the effect that is produced on the heart by a justifying faith,
and to suppose that 1 am justified by what is only the effect
of justification, is very poor logic indeed. Justification by any
other way than by imputed righteousness, is nothing more
nor less than justification by works. They may call it
justification by faith as much as they please. We know
there are protestants who cla.'m to preach justification by
faith, who do not believe in the doctrine of imputed
righteousness. The Salvation Army claims to believe in
justification by faith. The way they believe in it is
described by General Booth on page 39 of Doctrine and
Discipline of the Salvation Army. He says, "What is the
meaning of the passage, "faith is counted" or "imputed for
righteousness?" " But to him that worketh not, but believeth
on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for
righteousness."— /?^/«. 4: 5. These expressions simply mean
that being without any righteousness of our own, in which to
appear before God, He accepts our faith in Christ instead.
These and kindred passages also teach that faith is counted for
righteousness, because it is God's means of making us
actually righteous. In this sense we are justified, that is,
made just by faith." General Booth explains this passage
in the same way as Romish expositors and Arminian
Protestants do, viz : — That God accepted Abraham's act of
believing, or faith, as a substitute for complete obedience.
But this is in opposition to the whole spirit and letter of
the Apostle's teaching. Throughout this whole argument
faith is set in direct opposition to work? in the matter of
justification, and even in the next two verses. The
meaning therefore, cannot possibly be, that the mere act of
believing, which is as much a work as any other piece of
commanded duty, was counted to Abraham for all
obedience, /o/in 6:29 and ist /o/in 3:23, goes to prove
beyond a doubt that the mere act of believing is a work,
therefore, to be justified by faith in this sense, or, the mere
act of believing, is to be justified by our w(»rks. The

•I '

meaning plainly is, that Abraham believed in the promises
which embraced Christ, {Gmesis 12:3, & i5:5>6;& Gal,
3 : 8) as we believe in Christ himself, and in both cases
faith is merely the instrument that puts us in possession of
the blessing, gratuitously bestowed.

Christ for us, is the only foundation upon which we can
build in safety. Christ our Substitute is our one resting-place.
Not works, nor love, nor feelings, even though these may be
the creation of the Spirit in us ; no, nor yet faith, whether as
an act of the mind, or as a production of the Spirit, or as a
substitute for righteousness; none of these will do to build
upon. If we build upon faith in this way (as General
Booth would have us do), we shall find at the great reckon-
ing day, that we have been building on sinking sand, and
that our souls are still exposed to the wrath of Almighty
God, notwithstanding all our zeal and apparent good works.

Saving faith is clearly described by Luther and Me-
lancthon, in their replies to a letter written by Brentius, in
the year 1531. Brentius had been much troubled and per-
plexed about faith. It puzzled him. Christ justifies ; faith
justifies; how is this? Is faith a merit! Is it a work?
Has it some justifying virtue in itself? Does it justify be-
cause it is the gift of God and the work of the Holy Spirit ?
Troubled and perplexed with these questions (as many more
sinc^ his day have been) he wrote to Luther and Melancthon.
Their replies are short and to the point, and are specimens
of the way in which these men of might dealt with the
perplexed spirits of their time. " I see" writes Melancthon
" what is troubling you zhoni faith. You stick to the fancy
of Agustine, who, though right in rejecting the righteousness
of human reason, imagines that we are justified by t «•
fulfilling of the law which the Holy Spirit works in us. a
you imagine that men are justified by faith, b ^rause it is by
faith that we receive the Spirit, that thereat er we may be
able to be just by that fulfilment of the law which the Spirit
works. This imagination places justification in our fulfil-
ment of the law, in our purity or perfection, although this
renewal ought to follow faith. But do ye turn your eyes
from that renewal, and from the law altogether, to the
promise and to Christ, and think that it is on Christ's ac-
count that we become just, that is, accepted before God,

; promises
6;& Gal,
both cases
tsession of

ch we can
sting-place.
;se may be
whether as
irit, or as a
do to build
IS General
;at reckon-
; sand, and
f Almighty
;ood works,
r and Me-
Brentius, in
ed and per-
tifies; faith
it a work?
it justify be-
loly Spirit?
1 many more
VIelancthon.
; specimens
lit with the
Melancthon
to the fancy
ighteousness
led by t •"
s in us. a
•ause it is by
:r we may be
ch the Spirit
in our fulfil-
ilthough this
rn your eyes
ether, to the
I Christ's ac-
before God,

and that it is thus we obtain peace of conscience, and not on
account of that renewal. For even this renewing is
insufficient for justification. We are justified by faith alone,
not because it is a root, as you write, but because it appre-
hends Christ, on account of whom we are accepted ; this
renewing, although it necessarily follows, yet does not pacify
the conscience. Therefore not even love, though it is the
fulfilling of the law, justifies, but only faith ; not because it
is some excellence in us, but only because it takes hold of
Christ ; we are justified, not on account of love, not on
account of the fulfilling of the law, not on account of our
renewal, although these are the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but
on account of Christ; and Him we take hold of by faith
alone. Believe me, my Brentius, this controversy regarding
the righteousness which is by faith is a mighty one, and little
understood ; and you can only rightly comprehend it by
turning your eyes entirely away from the law, and from
Agustine's idea about our fulfilling the law, and fixing them
wholly upon the free promise, so as to see that it is on
account of that promise, and for Christ's sake, that we are
justified, that is, accepted and obtain peace. This is the
true doctrine, and that which glorifies Christ, and wonder-
fully lifts up the conscience. I endeavoured to explain this
in my Apolo^v^ but on account of the misrepresentations of
adversaries, could not speak out so freely as I do now with
you, though saying the very same thing. When could the
conscience have peace and assured hope, if we are not
justified till our renewal is perfected ? What is this but to
be justified by the law, and not by the free promise? In
that discussion, I said t lat to ascribe our justification to
love is to ascribe it to our own work \ understanding by that
a work done in us by the Holy Ghost. For faith justifies,
not because it is a new work of the Spirit in us, but because it
apprehends Christ on account of whom we are accepted,
and not on accoimt of the gifts of the Holy Spirit in us.
Turn away from Agustine's idea, and you will easily see the
reason of this ;and 1 hope our Apology will somewhat help
you , though I speak cautiously respecting matters so great,
which are only to be understood in the conflict of the
conscience. By all means preach law and repentance to
the people, but let not this true doctrine of the gospel be

overlooked." In the same strain wri|^ Luther: "I am
accustomed my Brentius, for the better understanding of this
point, to conceive this idea, that there is no quahty in my
heart at all, call it either faith or charity ; but instead of
these I set Christ himself, and I say this is my righteousness,
He is my quality, and my formal righteousness as they call
it, so as to free myself from looking into law or works ; nay,
from looking at Christ himself as a teacher or a giver. But
I look at him as a gift anc as a doctrine to me, in himself,
so that in him I have all things. He says, * I am the way,
the truth, and the life.' He says not, * I give thee the way,
the truth, and the life,' as if he were working on me from
without. All these things He must be in me, not through
me or to me; that we may be 'the righteousness of God in
him^ (and Cor. 5 : 21), not in love nor in the gifts and graces
which follow."

To these letters Brentius replies, unfolding his conflicts to
his beloved Philip: "Is not faith itself a work? Does not
the Lord say, 'This is the work of God that ye believe.'
Justification then cannot be either by works or by faith. Is
it so? Therefore justification must be on account of Christ
alone, ar^d not the excellence of our works * * * gut
how can all this be? * * * From childhooc I had not
been able to clear my thoughts on these points. Your letter
and that of Luther shewed me the truth ♦ • '* Justifica-
tion comes to us neither on account of our love nor our
fiiith, but solely on account of Christ; and yet it comes
through (by means of) faith. Faith does not justify as a
work of goodness, but simply as a receiver of promised
mercy * * * We do not merit we only obtain justifica-
tion * * 5K Faith is but the organ, the instrument, the
medium; Christ alone is the satisfaction and the merit.
Works are not satisfaction, nor merit, nor instrument; they
are the utterance of a justification already received by faith."
Thus does Brentius explain Melancthon*^ letter, and then
adys some thoughts of his own. He fears lest, as Popery
perverted love, so the Reformation might come to pervert
faith, putting it in the room of Christ, as a work or merit or
(juality; something in itself. Having finished his letter, and
signed it, he added a postscript, "Just as I was finishing my
letter, I remembered an argument of yours about works, to

"I am

ing of this

ity in my

instead of

teousness,

they call

>rks ; nay,

ver. But

1 himself,

1 the way,

the way,

me from

»t through

of God in

and graces

:onflicts to
Does not
^e believe.*
faith. Is
: of Christ
* * But
I had not
Vour letter
Justifica-
e nor our
t it comes
ustify as a
promised
1 justifica-
mient, the
the merit,
nent; they
1 by faith."
and then
as Popery
to pervert
or merit or
letter, and
wishing my
; works, to

the effect that if we are justified by iot^e w€ can never have
assurance^ because we can never love as we ought. In like
manner I argue regarding faith as a work; if justification
comes to us through faith as a work or merit, or excellence,
we can never be assured about it, because we can never
believe as we ought"— (Bonar's "God's Way of Holiness").
The Salvation Army has done just what Brentius feared the
Reformation would do. They have perverted faith, putting
it in the room of Christ as a work or merit. They may
deny this — no doubt they will. Well if this is not so, will
they tell us how they are justified. They deny justification
by imputed righteousness. Then they must be justified by
faitK as a work ; there must be jpome merit or virtue or
excellence in faith that God honors, and for which he justifies
them. Luther is said to have often reiterated this statement,
^ "Faith justifies us, no not even as a gift of the Holy Ghos\ but
solely on account of its reference to Christ, faith does not
justify for its own sake, or because of any inherent virtue
belonging to it." Dr. Horatius Bonar in speaking of faith,
says, "So long as this confusion exists— so long as men do
not distinguish between Christ's work and the Spirit's work
— so long as they lay any stress upon the quality or quantity
of their act of faith, there can be not only no peace of con-
science, but no progress in holiness — no bringing forth of
good works * * * For while men think to be justified
by faith as a work, or as an act of the mind, or as a gift of
the Spirit, they are seeking justification by something
inherent^ not by something imputed; and to deny that it is
inherent^ because infused into them by the Spirit, is simply
to cheat themselves with a play upon words; to cheat them-
selves all the more effectually, because professing to honor
the Spirit by ascribing to him the infused quality, out of
which they seek to extract their justification. In seeking
justification or peace of conscience from something wrought
in them by the Spirit, they are seeking these from that which
is confessedly imperfect, and which God never gave for such
a purpose, nay, they are rejecting the perfect righteousness
of the substitute, and so preventing the possibility of their
doing any acceptable work at all. For if 'the righteousness
of the law can only be fulfilled in us' through our acceptance
of the imputed righteousness of the Son of God, then there

can be //(? righieous thing done by us till we have reached fhe
position of men to whom the great truth of 'Christ for us/
'Jehovah our righteousness' has become the basis of all
reconciliation with God. This form of error is the more
subtle, because its victims are not walking in sin, but doing
all manner of outward service, ?nd exhibiting outward good-
ness in many forms, regarding 'vhich we shall only say, that
they are not pleasant to God, and as they are not done as
God hath willed we doubt not but they have the nature of
sin." Ralph Erskine says, "True faith gives Christ his own
room, and will not take a bit of his glory. It makes Christ's
perfect obedience and satisfaction, the alone condition of
eternal life, and as it cleans to Christ's righteousness as the
ground of its title to heaven, so it employs His Spirit as the
o-ily author of its meetness for Heaven. In a word it gives
itself room nowhere, that Christ may have room everywhere,
it makes itself nothing at all, that Christ may be all in all.
God has put honor upon it as the instrument of justification,
because it puts all the honor of justification upon God in
Christ by the Holy Ghost; or upon Christ's righteousness,
imputed by the Father, brought in by the Son, and applied
by the Spirit. Faith gives all the honor to God, and takes
none to itself. God has eminently connected it with salvation,
saying, 'he that believeth shall be saved,' because it disclaims
even itself, as well as all things else, from having any title to
the praise of any part of salvation, that Christ may have all
the glory of it; and be the centre of our praises, and that
salvation may not be by works evangelical any more than
legal, but by grace. Thus all boastmg is excluded, while
faith first excludes itself as a work and then all legal and
gospel works too, as the grounds of salvation and justifica-
tion; while at the same time it produces natively, all gospel
works, as fruits and evidences of justification, and so we show
our faith of free justification by our works of sanctification.
As the same thread is winded up upon one clew, by being
winded off from another, so the same work of holiness which
faith winds off and disclaims in the matter of justification,
it winds up upon the clew of sanctification, to evidence that
justifying faith is a sanctifying thing, and that the more a man
is dead to the law the more he is alive unto God." The sole
reason why men reject this doctrine of justification by im

: reached the
!^hriflt for us,'

basis of all

is the more
in, but doing
utward good-
mly say, that

not done as
he nature of
hrist his own
lakes Christ's

condition of
>usness as the
s Spirit as the

word it gives
n everywhere,
be all in ail.
f justification,
upon God in
righteousness,
I, and applied
od, and takes
with salvation,
ise it disclaims
ng any title to
: may have all
Lises, and that
ny more than
icluded, while

all legal and

and justifica-
^ely, all gospel
md so we show

sanctification.
clew, by being
holiness which
)f justification,
) evidence that
he more a man
iod." The sole
ication by im

puted righteousness is, because they are ignorant of the effect
of faith on the hearts and lives of men. This is why the
Church of Rome rejects it, and also why the Salvation Army
rejects it. It seems to me that men are very slow to learn a
lesson on this point. Our forefathers, the reformers, had to
wade through seas of blood to uphold the doctrine of
imputed righteousness, they suffered the tortures of the rack
and the stake to defend it, and to-day I believe they are
nearest the Throne ; and still the Salvation Army and some
others are trying to take it from us, and to give us a doctrine
in its place, that at best can only produce self-righteousness,
darkness, confusion and misery. We have proved it to be
so, by sad and bitter experience. The very doctrine that
fills me with joy unspeakable and full of glory, and love to
God that cannot be expressed. General Booth denounces as
a cheat of the devil. So did the Church of Rome in the
days of the Reformation, and so it does to day. The error
into which the Salvation Army, and many others have
fallen, is precisely the same error into which the whole of
the Galatian Church fell, Paul's PJpistle to them goes to
shew. And the devil has attacked the Church in all ages
on this point, and led it astray. He attacked Peter and he
fell a victim to his wiles, Barnabas too was "carried away
with their dissimulation." Paul upheld the truth, (viz :
justification by imputed righteousness) and withstood
Peter to the face. — (Ga/. 2: 11 — 21). He said to Peter,
"I do not frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness
come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain," {Ga/. 2: 21),
meaning that if he could only be accounted righteous through
keeping God's perfect law, then Christ was dead in vain,
but Paul boldly asserts that we are accounted righteous in
no such a way, but simply by depending on the righteousness
of another (Jesus Christ). James too, seems to have been
carried away w.th the same error as Peter, because it was
upon the arrival of certain men who came from James, that
Peter was led astray (Gal. 2 : 12). And how many more since
their day ha^ the devil led astray in the same way. The
Church of God in all ages has had to wade through seas of
blood and bitter persecutions, to uphold the cause of truth.
Sometimes she has had to fight almost single-handed, but
nevertheless, the truth has still been preserved and brought

down to us to gladden our hearts. General Booth may say *\
there are none so |)ersecuted as his followers. That we ,
doubt. Where there is one man who believes in justifica-
tion by imputed righteousness, there are five we believe,
who believe in justification by inherent righteousness; forVi
instance, there is all the Church of Rome, and at least three-
fourths of so-called Protestants, the Salvation Army included.
General Booth may think that he is in the minority, but he ,
is in the majority by a vast number. The road in which ,
he travels is thronged with countless millions ; v w*sdoni
shows a happier way with here and there a tra- >

The Salvation Army pretends to preach .ne same j
doctrine as did John Wesley. This is not correct. il(

John Wesley believed in justification by imputed right-j
eousness, the doctrine that Mrs. Booth calls a cheat of theo
devil. . • \ if

In that beautiful Hymn that he translated from the;^
German (and which he must have sanctioned, otherwise heri
would not have used it,) he says:-^ i

Jesus, thy blood and righteousness,
My beauty are, my glorious dress,
Midst flaming worlds, in t/iese arrayed,
With joy shall I lift up my head.

Bold shall I stand in that great day,
For who aught to my charge shall lay,
Fully absolved through th^se I am
From sin and fear, from guilt and shame.

When from the dust of death I rise,
And claim my mansion in the skies,
Even then this shall be all my plea,
Jesus hath hveif hath died for me."

n
n
f
a

If this is not justification by imputed righteousness, whatj
is it? This sho\^ beyond a doubt, that all his trust was,
in Jesus' blood and righteousness, and not in the holiness,j
wrought in us by the Holy Spirit. Charles Wesley too^,
believed the same thing. He says:

"Their daily delight shall be in Thy name,
They shall as their right Thy righteousness claim,
Thy righteousness wearing, and cleansed by Thy blood.
Bold snail they appear in the presence of God."

And again:

Booth may say •• No condemnation now I dread, Jesus and all in him is mine,
'ers. That we -Alive in him my living Head, and clothed in righteousness divine,
in iimtifica- ^^°''' ^ approach the eternal throne, and claim the crown through
. «• Christ my own."

ve we beneve,

iteousness; forUid again John Wesley says:

dat least three- . ..^ ^^^^ ^^^^ bottomless abyss!
Army mcluaed. ^y j-j^g ^^^ swallowed up in thee ;

linorityt but he Covered is my unrighteousness,

road in which Nor spot of guilt remains on me,

• V W'sdoni While Jesus' blood ihro' earth and skies,

* Mercy, free, boundless mercy, cries."
ra' ' y fk

ach .ne same Mark his words: "covered is my unrighteousness,"

orrect. ilninly showing that he knew that in him there was sin, and

impuXed right-nrij^hteousness, but he rejoiced to know that that unright-

3 a cheat of theousness was covered. How was it covered? By Christ's

ighteousness, in which by faith he clothed himself, and so

lated from thejcd really looked upon him as being without sin, and dealt

;d, otherwise he/jth him accordingly. John Wesley does not say here that

lihim there was no sin; nay, his words plainly show that he

eftlized that there was sin in him.

He does not say that his sin was exterminated, but simply

overed. If it was exterminated, thare would be no need

)r it to be covered; in short he would have no unright-

oosness to be covered.

If the doctrine of justfiication by imputed righteousness

\ a "cheat of the devil," as Mrs. Booth says, then John

nd Charles Wesley were deluded by it, and no doubt lived

nd died in the blissful delusion. And how many more

fithe humblest and best men this world has ever seen,

ave lived and died in the same faith, viz; Luther,

f<lancthon, Tyndale, Calvin, Bunyan, Traill, Baxter,

iteousness, whatjjjf^heyne, James, Chalmers, and a host of others. Am I

ill his t^'ust waSj suppose that all these men were deluded? If they were I

m the holmesSjjgj^j ^g ^gjl g^ ^^^^j^ ^^ Popery, because some of these

les Wesley too,j^ ^gj.g leaders in the reformation, and this doctrine of

touted righteousness was one of the chief doctrines for

mch they suffered the loss of all things to uphold and

efend; and the doctrine above all others that filled them

ifeh joy unspeakable and full of glory. It is said that when

Uther first saw the plan of salvation by imputed righteous-

2ts, through faith, his joy knew no bounds; he was like a

ss claim,

by Thy blood,

f God."

t '(

man let out of the darkest dungeon, into the light of thfin
noonday sun. The devil however did not leave him alont^
here, he tempted him to believe that this was too easy r^,
way to be the right way of salvation ; so Luther went bad
to bondage again, or to the doctrine of justification b;cc
inherent righteousness; and, as a consequence, all his peacicc
and joy departed, and he was left again in midnighcc
darkness, and like Noah's dove, he found no rest for thiAi
sole of his foot, until he returned again and clothed himselbi
afresh by faith, in the garments of Christ's righteousnessA(
Then again his peace and joy returned, and he was wisedi
than ever again to give up the doctrine of justification bAi
imputed righteousness. Tyndale says, "If any man ask meth
seeing faith justifies me, why I work, I answer, lovco
compelleth me ; for as long as my soul feeleth what love Go n^
hath showed me in Christ, I cannot but love God agair^
and his will and commandments, and of love work then fir
nor can they seem hard to me. (Pref. to Exodus i^i
Chalmers says "that our sins might not lose their awanii
they were all accounted to Christ, and that ChristV righ th.
eousness might not lose its award, it was all accounted the
those who believe." 'John Angell James says ^^ believing la
to rest upon the word and work of Christ for salvation ; t nc
depend upon his atonement and righteousness, and upo nc
nothing else for acceptance with God." Baxter says "thoii
works of the Son for us were these, to ranson. and redeei tr
us by his suflferings and righteousness." Traill says, "soniof
men seem to be jealous lest God's graces and Christ to
righteousness, have too much room, and men's works to H
little in the business of justification. If we say that faith i L
Jesus Christ, is neither work, nor condition, nor qualific
tion in justification, and that in its very act, it is tl^ a
renouncing of all things but the gift of grace, the fire et
kindled ; so that it is come to this, that he that will not I h(
anti-christian, must be called an anti-nomian. Believir o
on Jesus Christ is no work, but a resting on Jesus Christ P
Horatius Bonar says, "against transforming faith into la
work, the whole theology of the Reformation protested, tl
either a worthless verbal quibble, or as the subtlest dregs
Popery." McCheyne says, "my righteousness is in heaver h
But not only have we the testimony of great men

23 '

modern days, to substantiate the doctrine of justification by
le light of thijinputed righteousness, but we have the authority of God's
;ave him aloni^ord. We refer our readers to the testimony of God's
ras too easy :word.

ler went bad , since the day that God created man, He has made two
istification boDvenants with him— the old and the new. The old

e, all his peaooovenant was made with Adam. The conditions of that
\ in midnigh covenant were, "Adam's perfect obedience." God gave
10 rest for thi^dam to understand that if he obeyed Him he should live,
lothed himselbut if he disobeyed, even in one point, he should die.

righteousness Adam broke the covenent that God made with him. He
he was wise disobeyed and fell, and entailed ruin on all his posterity,
justification b And God seeing that all flejh was corrupted, and that by
ly man ask methis covenant no flesh could be saved, makes a new
'. answer, lov covenant, the conditions of which are: Christ fulfilling all
\ what love Go' righteousness for us. The ?rst covenant was a covenant of
)ve God agair^rks. The second is a covenant of grace or favor. The
)ve work then first covenant said "obey and live;" the second says "live

f. to Exodus Uid obey." The first covenant said, "the soul that sinneth
se their awanii shall die." The second covenant gives us to understand
it ChristV righthat "Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law,
all accounted t being made a curse for us," and to the believer in Christ the
ys ^^ believing Uw cannot now say, "disobey and perish." The believer is
or salvation ; t iiot under the covenant of works, or in other words, he is
ness, and uponot under the law bu under grace. True, the law still says
iaxter says "tliobey, but it has not the power to say to the believer, disobey
on. and redeei ind die, because Christ has perfectly satisfied the demands
aill says, "somof the law for him, and by faith the believer appropriates it
es and Christ to himself. God has taken away the covenant of works that
len's works to He may establish the covenant of grace: "believe on the
say that faith i ^^ord Jesus Christ and thou shalt be saved."

n, nor qualific The Salvation Army is still under the old covenant, be-
' act, it is tl" cause they maintain that obedience is necessary in order to
;race, the fire eternal life. They are still under the law and not under grace,
; that will not \ hence they are still under the curse. "For as many as are
[lian. Believirirf the works of the law are under the curse." — Gal. 3: 10.
»n Jesus Christ Paul says in Rom. 3 : 20-28, "Therefore by the deeds of the
ng faith into law shall no flesh be justified in his sight; for by the law is
on protested, the knov^ledge of sin. But now the righteousness of (lod
subtlest dregs Hoilliout the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and
ss is in heaven he proj>hets; even the righteousness of God, which is by faith
3f great men

of Jesus Christ, unto all, and upon all them that believe, foi .j^^

there is no difference: for all have sinned and come short ot

It nc

the glory of God. Being justified freely by his grace through ^j^^
the redemption that is in Christ Jesus; whom God hath set ^^y^^
forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare ^^^^
His righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, ^^^
through the forbearance of God; to declare, I say, at this,ij„j^,
time His righteousness: that he might be just, and the justi- j^^^j.
fier of him which believeth in Jesus. Where is boasting then? ^^^^
It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the jj^jj|.
aw of faith. Therefore we conclude that a man is justified .^^
by faith without the deeds of the law^* Marks his words: u^q
"without the deeds of-the law." Again, in Rom. 4: 1-8, wej^j^^
read, "What shall we say then that Abraham our father, asji^^^i^
pertaining to the flesh, hath found? For if Abraham were^iig^
justified by works, he hath whereof to glory; but not before/?/^//
(}od. For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God,,.jpj^j
and it was counted unto him for righteousness. Now to hiiTi(||g
that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but off^^j^
debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on himjjy
that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteous- gyg^
ness. Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the jystii
man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works, j^^
saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, andj (Jq
whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man to whom thccom*
Lord will not impute sin." Rom. 5: i — "Therefore beingi^ ^;
justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lordju q
Jesus Christ." And in Rom. 5 : 17-19 — "For if by one man'sno e
offence death reigned by one; much more they whichy^ q,
receive abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness, fQ|. |
shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ. Therefore as byto t?
the offence of one judgment came upon all men to condem-the 1
nation ; even so by the righteousness of one, the free gift Qt
came upon all men unto justification of life. For as byof sa
one man's disobedience, many were made sinners, so bywild(
iht obedience o^ one shall many be made righteous." Paulwfeos
in describing how Israel of old came to miss salvation, says,eterr
"what shall we say then that the (ientiles which followedonly
not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, not 1
even the righteousness which is of faith: but Israel whichhim
followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained todetm

I ,( I

; believe, foi ^y^^ j^^^ ^f righteousness. Wherefore? because they sought
)me short ol ^ ^^^ y^y f^ith, but as it were, by the works of the law; for
1"*^® ^"''^"S'l they stumbled at that stumbling stone; as it is written,
rod hath set behold I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offence,
d, to declare j^^^j whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."
at are past, ^j^^j {/?om. lo: 4,) "for Christ is the end of the law for
^V' ^^ ^"^.^ righteousness to every one that believeth." "With the
nd the justi- j^g^^j. j^^^^^ believeth unto righteousness; and with the
**^*"8j"^"f mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture
: but by tncgj^jjl^^ whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."
n IS justified .^^^;,^ jq. jo-n. And again in 2nd Cor. 5 : 19-21, we read,
» his words; «tjQ ^.[^ ^y^^^ Qq^^ ^^^g jj^ Christ reconciling the world unto
t. 4: 1-8, wej^j^gglf^ f^Q(- imputing their trespasses unto them. For he
ur father, asyj^^i^ made him to be sin for us who knew no sin, that we
>raham were,i,jg|^t \^q made the righteousness of (iod in him.'' And
t not before/?^// ^. g — «<And he found in him not having mine own
jlieved ^»od, j^gl^jgQ^srigss^ which is of the law, but that which is through
Now to him (he f^jth of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by
race, but otf^ij^j^ '> q^/ 2: 16-21 — Knowing that a man is not justified
^eth on him by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ,
:)r righteous- gygj^ ^^g ha\e believed in Jesu^ Christ, that we might be
idness of tnejys{if^g(j l^y ^Yiq fai^li Qf Christ, and not by the works of the
thout works, ]j^^^ for \yy ^^g works of the law shall no flesh be justified.
Drgiven, andj do not frustrate the grace of God, for if righteousness
) whom the come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain." And again
refore beingjn c;^/, 3: 26— "For ye are all the children of God by faith
?h our Lordjn Christ Jesus. And Gal 5: 4-5— "Christ is become of
)y one man Sjjq effect unto you, whosoever of you are justified by the law,
they which yg ^yq fallen from grace. For we through the spirit, wait
^hteousness,fQT the hope of righteousness by L'th." Paul in answer
refore as byto the question of the Philippian jailor, says, "believe on

to condeni-tine Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved,
the free gift Our blessed Lord when describing to Nicodemus the way

For as by of salvation, said, "and as Moses lifted up the serpent in the
mers, so bywilderness, even so must the Son of. Man be lifted up, that
ous." Paulvrliosoever believeth in him should not j^erish; but have
vation, says, eternal life. For God so loved the world that ho gave His
ich foliowedonly begotten Son that whosoever believeth on him should
;hteousness,not perish, but have everlasting life. He that believeth on
srael which hiin is not condemned, but he that believeth not is con-
: attained todernned already, because he hath not believed in the name

Ill

2(i

' I

I i

of the only begotten Son of God. He that belivieth on the

Son hath everlasting life, and he that believeth not the Son

shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.

I remember one time of hearing a Salvation Army officer

say something like this, "some people ask us where is God

going to draw the line between those who are saved and

those who are lost," and, said he, "this is where God is

going to draw the line of separation, 'He that committeth

sin is of the Devil.'" That officer drew the line of separa

tion between obedience and disobedience, but Jesus Christ

draws it between faith and unbelief, "he that believeth or

the Son hath everlasting life, he that believeth not the Son

shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him.

John 5: 24 — "Verily, verily I say unto you, he that hearelh

my word and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting

life, and shall not come into condemnation, but is passed

from death unto life." John 6: 40-47 — "And this is the

will of Him that sent me, that every one which seeth the

Son and believeth on him, may have everlasting life. Verily,

verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everiast

ing life." Mark 16: 16 — "He that believeth and is baptized

shall be saved, he that believeth not shall be damned.

John i: 12 — " But as many as received him to them gave

he power to become the sons of God. even to them that

believe in his name." John 6: 29 — "Jesus answered, this is

the work of God that ye believe on him whom he hath sent.

Our Blessed Lord, in the 22nd chapter of Matthew, tells

us plainly who will be saved and who will be lost. Only those

will be saved who have on the wedding garment. What was

this wedding garment? It was a garment that was prepared'

for every one that was bidden to the feast. The guests had

no part whatever in preparing that garment. It was prepared

free for them. All they had to do was to put it on. The

richer guests were expected to put it on as well as the poorer,

In fact no matter how well they were arrayed, they had to put

on this wedding garment or be excluded from the feast. Out

Lord tells us there was a man came in who had not on this

garment. Probably he thought, the garments that I have

already on are just as good as that wedding garment, there is

no need that 1 should put it on, I shall be admitted all right

without it. But he made a sad mistake. What does Out

m
ac

th
■fo
*(
pi

livieth on the
'h not the Son
leth on him.

Army officer

where is God
re saved and
where God is
Lt committeth
line of separa-
t Jesus Christ

beheveth on
s! not the Son
ieth on him.

that hearelh
th everlasting
but is passed
id this is the
ich seeth the

life. Verily,
hath everlast
id is baptized
be damned.
:o them gave
to them that
wered, this is
he hath sent.'
^latthew, tells
:. Only those
It. What was
was prepared '
»e guests had
was prepared
it on. The
IS the poorer,
2y had to put
le feast. Our

not on this

that I have

nent, there is

tted all right

at does Out

■Lord design to teach us by this parable? That none, no
tnatter how good they may imagine themselves to be, will be
admitted into Heaven unless they have clothed themselves in
the garment of Christ's righteousness, that has been prepared
for them, and none will be excluded from Heaven, no matter
•how unworthy they may feel themselves to be, if they have
put on this garment by faith. The dying thief wrapped this
•garment around him, and w^^s admitted with all his unwor-
'ihiness into the marriage supper of the Lamb. But sad to
say, to-day as of old, there are some who don't think they
need this garment. There are some who say, "I don't com-
mit sin, the garment that I have already on is just as good as
the one that Christ has prepared." Poor deluded soul. If
you do not sin you do not need this garment; your own gar-
*ments will do for you in which to appear before the King.
•But we are sadly afraid that notwithstanding all your fancied
tighteousness, when you appear before the King there will be
spots found on your garments. Poor, deluded, self-righteous
soul! it was not you that Jesus came to save. It was only
"those who feel that all they do is only as filthy rags before
God. And it is only those who will be persuaded to put on
the garment that Christ has prepared. Let us take a look at
'that garment. How beautiful and spotless it is! In vain do
we search for a spot on it. "In Him was no sin." He ful-
filled the law in every point and perfectly satisfied the demands
of justice. What a beautifuPgarment ! And will the Blessed
Lord consent to let us wear it? He will. He offers to strip
us of our rags, for in reality we have nothing but rags wheth-
er we think so or not, and He offers us the robe of His good
works to wrap around us and so shield ourselves from the
storm of God's wrath, which will eventually fall on the head
of every Christ-rejecter. Let us put on the Lord Jesus
Christ, for His righteousness alone will shield us from this
stofm. We have broken God's law and the avenger of blood
is on our track; let us fly to the City of Refuge, which is
Jesus; make Him our hiding place and we shall be safe.
Listen to the name which Jeremiah gives to the Blessed
Saviour : " Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that I will
raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign
and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the
earth. In his days Judah shall be saved and Israel shall

-—• c

mm>mw\

ii'f

I-

dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called,
The Lord our Righteousness.— y<?r. 23: 56. Again, listen
to the name that Jeremiah gives the Church of God. He
says in chap. 33: 15, 16: "In those days and at that time
will 1 cause the Branch of Righteousness to grow up unto
David: and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in
the land. In t>ose days Judah shall be saved and Jerusalem
shall dwell safely • and this is the name whereby s/ie shall be
called, The Lord c ur Righteousness." The name given to
the Blessed Saviour and the Church is one. Why is this?
Because the Saviour and the Church are one; whatever
belongs to Christ belongs to all those who are in Him. What-
ever belongs to the Head, belongs also to the members. Isatah
says, " Surely shall one say, in the Lord have I righteousness
and strength, even to him shall men come. In the Lord
shall all the seed of Israel be justified and shall glory." — Isa,
45: 24, 25. "The righteousness of Jesus Christ stands on
our side, for God's righteousness is in Jesus Christ ours." —
Luther. What a blessed soul-cheering thought. The sole
reason why men do not love God more, is because they do 1
not realize their completeness in Christ. This is why there 1
is no more fftuit brought forth to the honor and glory of God. 1
Men may talk about people getting gospel hardened, but we <
very much doubt whether such a thing can be. Men get i
law-hardened, "because the law worketh wrath" — Rom. 4: 15, s
but gospel-hardened they will pot, because Christ says, "And j
I, if I be lifted up from the earth will draw all men unto ^
vci^.^^—John 12: 32. How is it then that all men are not i
drawn to him? Simply because He is not lifted up; other- l
wise Christ's words cannot be true. We may rest assured 1
that when men are not affected, the gospel is not preached, 1
It is law, law, law, and salvation by law, instead of softening 1
men's hearts, only hardens them ; "for the law worketh wrath.' 1
But the tendency of the gospel is to soften men's hearts, as '
Christ positively affirms. There is a lot of preaching to-day
with very little result, simply because it is not gospel that is
preached. And the devil does not care a straw how much
preaching there is as long as it is no )spel; he knows that
it will only drive men farther from G(ju And it is salvation
by law that the Salvation Army pr.eaches. With them it is
"obey and live— disobey and die," and if this is not law, I

shall be called,

Again, listen

I of God. He

d at that time

grow up unto

ighteousness in

i and Jerusalem

eby she shall be

name given to

Why is this?

one; whatever

in Him. VVhal-

embers. Isaiah

I righteousness

In the Lord

ill glory." — Isa,

hrist stands on

Christ ours."—

ght. The sole

ecause they do

is is why there

d glory of God.

rdened, but we

be. Men get

" — Rom. 4: 15,

rist says, "And

all men unto

men are not

ted up; other-

y rest assured

not preached,

d of softening

orketh wrath.'

en's hearts, as

eaching to-day

gospel that is

^iw how much

he knows that

it is salvation

ith them it is

is not law, I

would like them to tell me what law is. Is it any wonder '

that there are so many backsliders among them ? For they

not realizing that it is the righteousness of another that saves

them, and believing that a perfect obedience is necessary in

order to life, after trying again and again, and realizing that

tiiey fail, at last get discouraged, and give it up with the

thought that God is a hard master. Truly, "the law worketh

wrath." How different from this the effect that the gospel

produces. Whenever souls are led to see that God is willing

tD accept the good works of Jesus instead of their good

works; if tht^, are willing to depend on them and be saved

on these conditions, then are they filled with wonder, love

and praise. The love of God so manifested astonishes them.

, In spite of all contradiction, the doctrine of justification

by imputed righteousness must be true, because it is the

only doctrine that perfectly excludes boasting. It is the

only doctrine that propagates love and true humility in the

soul. It is the only doctrine that gives a real and an

abiding peace. Other peace (worthy of the name) there is

none. This doctrine gives us an uninterrupted peace as

long as we continue to believe, even though we may have

niany shortcomings and many failings. It is not the failures

or shortcomings, or sins of christians that separate them

from God. Some may say this is str:\nge doctrine. Well,

strange as it may appear, it it nevertheless true. What, I

ask, is the link that unites God and man ? Faith you say.

Well, if faith is the connecting link, then of necessity

ceasing to believe, and that alone, can separate a christian

from his God. To illustrate this point, suppose a ship is

moored to a wharf with a rope. It is the rope that connects

the ship and the wharf. What will disunite them ? Severing

the rope, and that alone. It is therefore ceasing to believe,

and not our failings and shortcomings that separates from

God. If our failings and defects separate us from God,

then of necessity we must be justified by our works.

" What then, shall we continue in sin that grace may

abound ? " God forbid. We are not to sin because grace

abounds. We have been called to liberty, but we are not

to use our liberty for an occasion to the flesh. No other

way of justification but by imputed righteousness would ever

l^ad a s;oul to say " What then, shall we continue in sin that

I I II

grace may abound." — Rom. 6: i. Hence this ought tc
prove beyond a doubt, that it is the very doctrine that Pan!
taught. The guarded, restricted, conditional, fenced-arounc
gospel that some men give us would never suggest such a
thought. Some men fence the gospel around with con
ditions, such as you must do this, and you must do that,
and you must do the other thing, until they have turned
gospel into law, and justification by faith into justification
by works. They take all the good news out of the gos])el,
and rob it of its power, forgetting, or not knowing, {hat it is
in its very freeness tha: its power lies. It is all right and
well to preach God's law to men, because his law is the
revelation of His will to us, and without it we would not
know what to do to please Him, but to preach that we tnusi
perfectly obey that law in order to be saved, is to bring us
again under the curse that Christ has redeemed s from,
" Christ has redeemed us from the curse of the law being
made a curse for us." — Gal. j: ij. God's word tells us that
if we build upon the right foundation, which is the blood
and righteousness of Jesus, we shall be saved, even though
our works are not all that they should be. All our worb
may not be like gold, silver, and precious stones, that will
stand the test of the fire ; there may be, and no doubt will
be in the works of the best men some wood, hay, and
stubble, that will be burned up. " For other foundation can
no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if
any man build upon this foundation, gold silver, prec'.uj
stones, wood, hay, stubble ; every man's work shall be made
manifest, for the day shall declare it, because it shall be re
vealed by fire : and the fire shall try every man's work of
what sort it is. If any man's work abide which he hath built
thereupon he shall receive a reward. If any man's work
shall be burnt, he shall suffer loss : but he himself shall be
saved, yet so as by fire." — isf Cor. j.- ii-iS- " He hi'^^e^f
shall be saved." Notice that reader. Yes, be saved, ovtn
though his works have been destroyed, because he has built
upon the solid rock, Christ Jesus. Do you say that it wil
not do to preach that doctrine., I answer, it will do for me
to preach it as well as it would for Paul to preach it, and \\
it is not right, the Lord made a great mistake when He
inspired Paul to write it, and .scatter it broadcast over the

this ought tc
•ctrine that Pan:
I, fenced-arounc
r suggest such a
■ound with con
u must do that,
7 have turned
ito justification

of the gosi)eI,
3wing, fhat it is
s all right and
: his law is the
: we would not
h that we musi
\ is to bring us
smed s from,

the law being
)rd tells us that
1 is the blood
3, even though

All our works
ones, that will

no doubt will
>od, hay, and
bundation can
irist. Now if
Iver, prec'-.dj
shall be made

it shall be re
nan's work of

he hath built
' man's work
mself shall be
" He hi»'^'i«it

saved, ovtn
J he has built a
y that it will i
'ill do for me
ach it, and ii
ike when He
::ast over the

face of the earth, for every christian in every land since his
day to read. Paul was not afraid to preach it. Why should
I be? Why should any other christian be? God undoubt-
edly meant that it should be preached, otherwise He
would not have inspired Paul to write it.

How slow men are to learn that their works have no part
in their salvation, and that it is Christ's works thai save
them and His alone.

Men will try every other way, and as a rule not until they
are foiled in every other way, will they consent to be saved
by Christ alone.

Men make resolutions to give up this sin and that sin and
live right, but their resolutions are only ropes of sand, they
try to save themselves by living right, but they only make a
miserable failure of it. They labor, and labor, and labor to
be saved, not knowing that God does not want them to do
anything to be saved, but simply to depend on what another
has done. And this is rest not labor. Christ says ' Come
unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will
give you rest." And oh ! what a blessed rest it is to the
soul who has tried to save itself by keeping God's perfect
law and has failed, just to rest on what another has done.
I may be mistaken, but I greatly fear that ihe majority of
professing christians to-day are in this laboring heavy-laden
condition, and all because the way of salvation is not
preached as it should be. Ministers, fearing the i'lfluence
which strong statements on justification may have on the
lives of their flock, are apt to qualify their assertions in some
such way as follows: "We know that we are justified by
faith alone, but then we musi give ourselves up to be led by
the Spirit, and we must live right in order to be saved."
There is no must about it. Salvation is by grace alone.
"The gift of God is eternal XxiQ^—Rom. 6: 2j. Must in
that case is law, not gospel. And so in order to keep men
out of the frying-pan, they have been left in the fire. How
many are there to-day in this sad, deplorable condition,
clinging partly to their own works and partly to Christ.
Christ never will save a soul on any such conditions. Not
until we let go everything else, and just fall into the arms of
redeeming love will he save us. 'I'o use the words of the
Rev. James Proctor: ; • ' . <»

"Caiifyour deadly doing down, down at Jesus' feel,
Stand in Ilim, in Ilim alone, gloriously complete."

i '

'4i

S. M. Houghton, in his little book entitled " Faith, what
it is, and what it does," relates the following incident :
** During a late revival a lady who was awakened went to a
minister and told him how unhappy she was. He said he was Jt
glad to hear it. She was amazed and hurt, and related to th
him how she had read and prayed and yet could find no li
l)eace. He told her it was not by anything she could do, ar
but by what Christ had done long, long ago, and finished on ^h
the cross, that she could be saved. Nothing relieved, she K^
went to a recently converted friend, and said, " what have
you done to get peace." "Z>£?«^," said her friend, "I have 0
done nothing. It is by what Christ has done I have peace ^f
with God." In yet greater distress she went home, shut tp
herself in her room, resolving not to rise from her knees till *
she had peace. She remained on her knees till, worn out, J"
she fell into a slumber, and dreamt she was falling over a ?P
frightful precipice, bat had caught a twig by which she hung m^
over the gulf " Oh save me," she cried; and a voice from ^^
below which she knew to be Christ's said " Let go the twig, "^
and I will save you." " Lord, save me I " again and again yo
she cried, and again and again the same answer was re- P^
turned. " Let go the twig and I will save you." She must *'
perish she thought if she let go the twig. At length he said
in tones most solemn and 'jnder, "I cannot save you unless
you let go the twig." She let it go, and fell into the
Saviour's arms, and in the joy of feeling herself safe,
awoke. In her sleep she had learned the needed lesson.
Her oicm doings were the twig. She saw she must let this go,
and fall into the arms of the Redeemer. She did so and had
peace." And every soul, before Christ will save them, must
do as she did.

Some people imagine that they must weep and mourn,
and lament a long time, and try and get themselves worked
up into a state of great sorrow for sin, before Christ will be
willing to accept them. This is a delusion of the devil.
The Spirit does not work in men to fit them to come
to Christ, but it works to show men they are sinners, and to
bring them to Christ just as they are. Whenever a soul
realizes that it is lost, then it is ready for Christ to save.

"1
an
ne

tal
rij

ag
sh

%
ea
an
sa
ar
tu

!el,

" Faith, what
ng incident :
ed went to a
!e said he was
nd related to
:ould find no
he could do,
d finished on
relieved, she

** what have
:nd, ** I have
I have peace

home, shut
her knees till
ill, worn out,
falling over a
ich she hung
a voice from

go the twig,
n and again
swer was re-
She must
ngth he said

e you unless

ell into the
herself safe,

ded lesson.
st let this go^

so and had

them, must

and mourn,
ves worked
irist will be
f the devil,
m to come
ners, and to
ever a soul
ist to save.

Whenever a person realizes that all his own righteousness is
only filthy rags, then he is welcome to put on the robe of
Christ's righteousness to cover his nakedness. No matter
how bad he may be, or how unworthy he may feel
l^imself, the Word of God says to him, "Put ye on the Lord
Jesus." — Mom. 13: 14. "That thou mayest be clothed, and
that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear." — Rev 3:
\&. Those who wrap the mantle of Christ's righteousness
around them are safe for time, safe for eternity. And all
the fitness that is required, is to feel our need of this
garment. As the Rev. Jos. Hart beautifully expresses it,
"All the fitness he requireth, is to feel your need of Him."
Our hearts may be hard — that makes no difference to Christ.
4( they were a thousand times harder, we would be welcome
tp Him. We may have been great sinners, but if we were
a million times greater we would be welcome, and welcome
j.ust as we are, without one solitary indication of goodness
i^|t)out us. We do not need tears, and sighs, and groans, to
f^t us to go to Christ. Some people think, oh if I could
qnly feel very sorry for my sins, then I might have some
hope that Christ would receive me. Poor deluded soul !
you think there must be some sign of goodness in you
before (^hrist will receive you, but dost thou not know, that
it was not the righteous, but sinners Jesus came to save.
"They that are whole need not a physician, but they that
are sick." — Luke 5: 31. If you were worthy you would not
need him. It is your very unworthiness that makes you
rvped him.

In concluding this subject I may say, men need not
talk to me about justification by inherent or infused
righteousness. I have travelled that road far enough to
pjTove that their is no peace in it. 1 remember some years
ago of reading a book entitled, "the Blood of Jesus," which
siiowed me the real way of f.alvation, and I was led to accept
Jj;^ but like Luther, the devil tempted me that it \^as too
!^y a way to be the right way of salvation, so I forsook it,
^d went back again to bondage, and for years, I regret to
SJiy, notwithstanding all my prayers, and tears, and works,
^d fancied righteousness, peace, worthy of the name, I did
ppt know. The Salvation Army instead of helping me,
pnly led me farther from right and truth, although when I

■I

belonged to it I believed in its doctrines with all my heart

and I really consider it a miracle of grace that I was show;

my error. No one used to defend the members of th

Army with more warmth than I; their zeal captivated nu

I thought because they were so zealous they must be righi,

I inwardly despised other denominations for their lack v

zeal and apparent coldness, forgetting that it was ver

possible to be zealously affected, but not well affected fc

all. — Gal. 4: 17. Possible to be like the Jews of old,

**compass sea and land to make one proselyte," and yet

be on the wrong road. In this state of mind, I got hold

a book written by Dr. Horatius Bonar, entitled, "God

way of Holiness," and I thank God it showed me the erro

of the Salvation Army so clearly that I could not help b

see them, and it laid before me the way of salvation <

plain and simple that I could not err, and again I accepte

it and went on my way rejoicing. And since then I ha^

felt a thousand times like saying, God bless Dr. Horati

Bonar for showing me my error, and putting me in the rig

way; and I often think that when I get to heaven, next

the Blessed Lord himself, he will be the one I shall want

see. I recommend every one to read his book, "God's w;

of Holiness." I remained in the Salvation Army son

three or four weeks after this, and went to the meetings

usual, but the Gospel was so torn to pieces, and the tru

so much perverted, that I could not bear to listen to it, a-

so resolved to leave it. I knew persecution awaited n

but I did not care. I knew God was on my side. 1 knt

that I would be branded as a hypocrite or a backslider, b

I could not help it. I knew that wrong motives would

imputed to me for leaving, as their have been, but I left

all in the hands of God ; and had there been ten times

many difficulties in coming out, I would not have stay

there, because it is Popery almost from beginning to er

And since I have accepted the doctrine that Mrs. Boc

calls a "cheat of the devil," viz; justification by imput

righteousness, I can say my peace has been uninterruptt

and I say again men need not talk to me about justifi

tion by inherent righteousness, I have suffered too mucli

that path ever to be beguiled into it again. It drove

almost to despair. It made me hate God and think Hir.

all my heart
t I was show:
jembers of th
[captivated nit
must be righ;
their lack c
It it was ver
11 affected f(
ews of old, I
te," and yet t
I got hold
ilitlcd, "God
1 me the erro
d not help b
of salvation <
;ain I acceptf
»ce then I ha^
i Dr. Horati
me in the rig
peaven, next
I shall want
ok, "God's w:
n Army son '
the meetings
}, and the tru
listen to it, af '
n awaited n
side. I knt
backslider, fc •
tives would
£n, but I lefi
1 ten times
3t have stay
inning to er
at Mrs. Boc i
n by imput -
uninterruptf ;
iboutjustifi ;^
i too much ^'
It drove: >
i think Hin -

hard master. But now by the help of God, my song shall
ever be: —

** Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

Let me hide myself in thee.

While I draw this fleeting breath,

When my eyes shall close in death,

When I rise to worlds unknown,
' See Thee on thy judgment thnme ;

y Rock of Ages, cleft for me,

1 Let me hide myself in thee."

And with the Rev. Edward Mote I delight to .sing —

" My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus' bloml and righteousness,
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
liut wholly lean on Jesus' name.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
O may I then in Ilim be found,
Drest in His righteottstwss alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne."

Probably the Salvation Army will say Oh, its all very well
to preach salvation by faith alone, but God's word says
"faith without works is dead." — fames 2: 20. Well, let us
see what kind of faith it is that is dead, and that brings
forth no good works. James describes this faith in ch.
2: 19, "Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest
well, the devils also believe and tremble." This then is the
faith that is dead, simply believing there is one God. This
faith can save no one, because it produces no effect for good
on the soul. It is possible for a person to believe there is
one God, and yet hate and dread that God ; and indeed,
unless we have appropriated to ourselves the benefits of
Christ's death, this is the only effect that such a faith can
have. What makes the devils tremble? because they look
on God simply as the punisher of sin, and so they dread
and hate Him. This faith produces no good effect either
on the heart of man or devils. But the faith by which we
appropriate to ourselves the benefits of Christ's death, and
by which we clothe ourselves in the garments of Christ's
righteousness, produces quite a different effect to this
altogether. It produces love, joy, and peace, hence it is not
a dead faith, while it produces these fruits of the spirit.

SANCTIFICATION.

I do not believe in the way the Salvation Army preaches
sanctification. If we turn to page 54 of the Doctrine and
Discipline of the Salvation Army, we find the way that
General Booth teaches sanctification. He says : *' Does the
Army teach what is understood by the doctrine of sinless
prefection ? Certainly not. What is sinless prefection ?
Such a state as that of Adam before his fall, wherein he
being a perfect creature, was enabled to render a perfect
obedience to the perfect Law of God. Is it possible to
attain to sinless perfection in this life ? No. An imperfect
creature cannot perfectly obey a perfect law, and man being
imperfect both in body and mind, is plainly unable to keep
the perfect law of God." And yet he preaches that a man can
live without sin, but he can't keep God's perfect law. I
would like to ask General Booth what sin is. God's Word
tells me, "Sin k ^he transgression of the law "—is f /oAn,
3:4. I would like to know which of God's moral laws I
can break and not commit sin? Can I steal? Cart I lie?
Can I take God's name in vain? Can I oovet? Can I
worship idols? Can I commit adultery? No, I can't do
any of these without committing sin. Can I leave undone
anything that God's moral law enjoins me to do without
committing sin ? No, I can't. I would like to know which
of God's moral laws General Booth bieaks without commit-
ting sin ? He goes on to say : " Does God require obedience
to a law the keeping of which He knows to be utterly im-
possible ? No. We cannot imagine a benevolent being
requiring from us that which is impossible, and then con-
demning us for not doing it. His service is a reasonable
service and His commandments are not grievous. What
then is the law that He expe'^ts us to keep ? The law of
love." I should like to know what General Booth means
by the law of love. To talk of love being a law is nonsense.
It is one of the most absurd and foolish arguments ever
invented by the devil. Love is not a law, — it is a motive.
It is not a rule to guide my footsteps. I might love God

preaches
rine and
|way that
Does the
'f sinless
Jefection ?
lerein he
a perfect
ssible to
imperfect
lan being
to keep

1 man can
t law. I
d's Word
■1st John,
al laws I
an I lie?
} Can I
' can't do

2 undone

3 without
ow which
t commit-
)bedience
tterly im-
:nt being
hen con-
jasonable
s. What
he law of
:h means
lonsense.
?nts ever
1 motive,
ove God

with all my heart, and soul, and mind, and strength, but
unless I had God's moral law to guide me in my actions, I
would not know vyhen I was doing the things that were
pleasing in His sight. Blot God's moral law out of His
Book, and you leave man in ignorance of his Creator's will
<»ncerning him. We cannot do better than to insert just
here the opinion of Dr. Horatius Bonar, one of the leading
•Divines of modern times. He says, "Some will tell us
here that it is not service they object to. but service regulated
by law. But will they tell us what is to regulate service if
not law ? Love they say. This is a pure fallacy. Love is
not a rule but a motive. Love does not tell me what to do;
if tells me how to do it. Love constrains me to do the will
of the beloved one ; but to know what that will is, I must
fgQ elsewhere. The law of our God is the will of the beloved
one, and were that expression of his will withdrawn, love
would be utterly in the dark, it would not know what to do.
It might say, I love my master, and I love his service, and I
Want to do his bidding, but I must know the rules of his
House^ that I may know how to serve him. Love, without
hiw to guide its impulses, would be the parent of will-
worship and confusion, unless upon the supposition of an
iftward miraculous illumination, as an equivalent for law.
Love goes to the law to learn the divine will, and love de-
•%hts in the law as the exponent of that will ; and he who
8«ys that a believing man has nothing more to do with law,
save to shun it as an old enemy, might as well say that he
has nothing to with the will of God. For the divine law
and the divine will are substantially one; the former, the
otitward manifestation of the latter." (Bonar, in his book
entitled "God's way of holiness," page loo.) — We think
tfiat General Booth is right in saying that the reason why we
cannot keep God's perfect law is, because we are imperfect
hoth in body and mind. But to say that we can live
Without sin, and yet not keep God's perfect law, is a
ifldiculous absurdity. Yes, man is imperfect. There are
the imperfections of the body, which he inherits from his
parents, and as the body wields its influence over the
mind, so the rnind as a consequent: is imperfect. When
God created man, He created him perfect both in
body and mind. He had an immortal body, in which there

I "":i

was no tendency to sin. When man fell he was changef
from immortal to mortal, and from possessing a body ii
which there was no tendency to sin, to a body whose ever
tendency is to sin, and that continually. ^ This tendency t
sin, which is inherited by all of Adam's posterity, is callei
original sin. We see this original or inbred sin manifestin,
itself in the various actions of men, such as pride, angei
jealousy, envyings, murders, sloth, drunkenness, hatred, am
many other ways. We think we can safely say that there i
no man on earth, in whose nature there is no tendency t
sin, and we think that (iod's word will uphold us in thi
assertion. We find that Paul in writing to the Romans
some 26 years after his conversion, and only 6 years befor
his death, in the 7th Chapter, from the 15th to the 23r
verses, makes use of this language: "For that which I do
allow not, for what I would, th&.t do I not, but what I halt
that do I. For I know that in me [that is, in my flesl
dwelleth no good thing, for to will is present with me; bi
how to perform that which is good I find not, for the goo
that I would, I do not, but the evil which I would not, th;
do I. Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I th;
do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. I find then a law th:
when I would do good, evil i: present with me. For
delight in the law of God, after the inward man, but I sf
another law in my members, warring against the law of rr
mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of si
which is in my members." We know that General Boo
says that this chapter is descriptive of the struggle that go
on in the heart of every unsaved person who is trying to c
right. But I ask does an unsaved person delight in the h
of God? Impossible! Why? Because it is the law
God that seals his doom. It is the law of God that te
him of the vengeance of Jehovah, which is hanging ov
his guilty head, and delight in it he never can and nev
will, until he sees that on his behalf the demands of th
law has been satisfied, and he is free. Besides, Paul us
the present tense here, from the fifteenth verse to the end
the chapter. He says, "I delight in the law of God af!
the inward man, but [mark his words] I find anort
law in my members, warring against the law of r
mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of -

was change(
ig a body ii
whose ever
tendency t
■rity, is callei
manifestin.
pride, angei
|s, hatred, ani
that there i
tendency t
•Id us in thi
the Romans
years befor
to the 2y,
which I do
t what I hatt
in my fles^
with me; bi
I for the goo
buld not, th:
p more I th, i
hen a law th
h me. For
Tian, but I sf
the law of it
e law of si
jeneral Boo
iggle that go
s trying to c
ght in the h
s the law
lod that te
hanging ov
an and nev
lands of tli
Js, Paul u^
to the end
of God cJi
find anotl^
law of r
J law of '

which is in my members." What was this other law tliat
Paul found in his members ? It could be nothing else but
Original or inbred sin. He says it was in his members, and
'IShat it sometimes brought him into captivity. He deplored
lis presence, yet there it was, causing him sometimes to do
'|he things that he did not want to do, and to leave undone
the things that he should do. I want you to mark that this
^Was twenty-six years after his conversion and only six before
his death. Dare anyone say that Paul, the christian hero,
the consecrated apostle, the man who suffered so much and
'Went through so many hardships for the love he bore his
-'Waster, was not as good as many christians of modern times?
'We think there is no one that looks at his consecrated life
'that would say such a thing. Again, in 1st yohn^ i : 8, we
read, "If we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the
truth is not in us." General Booth, on page 73 of Doctrine
and Discipline of the S. A., twists and perverts this passage
of scripture, and makes it say things which I defy any sane
man to find in it. John is here talking about the principle
of sin withm him ; inbred sin, not his actual transgressions,
they were forgiven, — notice that sin is used in the singular.
He says if we say [not xi you say] we have [present tense] no
sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. He in-
cludes himself as well as everyone else, and he concludes by
saying that if we say such a thing as "we have no sin," we
deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. And if the truth
is not in us we are not saved, we are not converted, because
it is truth that saves and error that damns. I would say to
the reader, if you profess to be holy, the next time you think
about getting up and saying that in your heart there is no
inbred sin, think on the judgment that John passes on you,
"you deceive yourself and the truth is not in you," John
wrote these words fifty-six years at least after his conversion,
and only a short time before his death. Yes, if we say we
have no sin we deceive ourselves, and no one but ourselves;
we do not deceive our neighbors. They can see our incon-
sistencies. We do not deceive God ; our hearts are all open
to Him. We simply deceive ourselves. In James i ; 14, we
read, " But every man is tempted when he is drawn away of his
own lust and enticed:" ])lainly showing that in every man
there is a natural tendency to sin. In man there is inbred

sin, and he says that every man is tempted by these inward
foes. Temptation comes to every man from within, as well
as from without. Again, James says in ch. 3: 2, "In many
things we offend all." He includes himself here; he says we
[not you] offend all. That takes me in and General Booth
too. Nor does he say, we used to offend all, but we offend all,
plainly showing that it was the present he was speaking of,
and that was twenty-six years at least after he was converted.
David says in Ps, 51: 5, " Behold I was shapen in iniquity
and in sin did my mother conceive me." David spake these
words just after he had committed the double sin of aduUery
and murder, and it was in looking at the evil tendency of his
nature that he was led to utter these words. Solomon, the
wisest of men, of whom it is said that there was none like
unto him before him, neither should there any arise after him
like unto him, says in ist Kings, 8: 46, "There is no man
that sinneth not." Solomon used these words in that remark-
able prayer that he offered at the dedication of the temple,
at the end of which fire came down from heaven and con-
sumed the burnt offerings, and the sacrifices, and the glory
of the Lord filled the house. Dare anyone say that Solomon
in using these words told an untruth, or that he is only refer-
ring to unconverted people, when he positively says no inanl
Again, in Prov. 20: 9, he says, "Who can say I have made
my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?" And in Eccl. 7 : 20,
"For there is not a just man upon earth that doeth good and
sinneth not." We do not see how anyone without utterly
perverting scripture, can say that this refers solely to the un-
converted. The meaning is obvious and plain, there is not
a man upon earth so just, but commits sin. These are the
sayings of the wisest man, of whose goodness at the time he
wrote these words there cannot be the shadow of a doubt.

My opinion is, that those people who say they don't
commit sin, understand but little of God's word, and less
of their own hearts. We would like to ask them, do they
never speak one idle word? Well, idle words are sin. Do
you never leave undone any thing you should do? If you
do it is sin. Do you pray as much as you ought? Do you
speak to as many people about their souls as you ought to?
If you don't, you commit sin.

We know that to contradict these arguments, a lot of

'::'1M'.',' '

people will quote the passage of Scripture, "he that com-
mitteth sin is of the devil,"— (ist John 3: 8), and "he that
is born of God, sinneth not."— He that sinneth hath not
seen Him nor known Him,"— (ist /^^/i^, 5: 6). These
passages cannot mean that a man once born of God, never
commits a sin. In that case there is not a christian man
upon earth. Where is the man who has been converted
but for one year only, who will say that in that year he has
never committed a sin, that he has done all he should do,
and left undone all that he should not do? Well, if you
have not done this, and if I am to take this passage,
"whosoever sinneth ha^h not seen him nor known him,"
as it reads, you were noc converted at all, and were simply
deceiving yourself to think so, because this passage says,
"whosoever sinneth hath not seen Him nor knoivn Himy
Again, take I'sXjohn 3: 9— Whosoever is born of God doth
not commit sin; for His seed remaineth in him, and he
cannot sin because he is born of (iod." Does this passage
mean that it is an impossibility for a man who is born of
God to sin? for it positively says, "he cannot ^m.'' Cannot,
in Scripture, does not always mean an impossibility, it
simply means going contrary to the nature of things. Take
for instance Mark 2: 19 — "And Jesus said unto them, can
the children of the Bride Chamber fast, while the Bride-
groom is with them, as long as they have the Bridegroom
with them, they cannot fast." Did Jesus mean that it was
impossible for them to fast while He was with them? No.
He simply meant that it would be incongruous and contrary
to the nature of things, for them to do so. "And he from
within shall answer and say, trouble me not, the door is
now shut, and my children are with me in bed ; I cannot
rise and give thee." — Luke 11: 7. Does this passage mean
that it was impossible for him to rise and do as his
neighbor required? not at all. It simply means that it
would be going against his will and his inclinations to do so.
" And another said I have married a wife, and therefore I
cannot come." — Luke \\ 20. "W^hy do ye not understand
my speech, even because je cannot hear my word." — John
8: 43. Did Jesus mean that they could not hear his word?
that it was impossible for them to do so? No. He meant
that they were not disposed to hear it. It was contrary to

their nature to hear it. "For we cannot but speak the
things which we have seen and heard." — Acts 4: 20. Ye
cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils,
ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and the table of
devils." — 1st Cor. 10: 20. Does this mean tha^ it is
impossible for a person to drink the cup of the Lord and the
cup of devils? Not at all. Did not Judas do this and
hundreds more since his day. "A good tree cannot bring
forth evil fruit, neither csin a corrupt tree bring forth good
fruit." — Matt. 7: 18. This does not mean that a good tree
never brings forth evil fruit. Where is the tree that brings
forth no bad fruit? It cannot be found. These passages
simply mean that the thing alleged would be an incongruity
or contrary to the nature of things. And such passages as
" He that is born of God doth not commit sin," &c., simply
mean that he that is born of God does not wilfully commit
sin; he hates sin, and all his desire is to do the will of Him
who loved him, and gave Himself for him.

Jesus said to the young ruler, "There is xionQ good hwi
one, that is God." — Luke 18: 19. We fail to see wherein a
man would not be good, if in his heart there was no inbred
sin, in his nature no tendency to sin, and he lived daily
without committing sin. But Jesus positively says, "there
is none good," and that excludes all.

Job made a solemn protestation of his integrity and tried
to justify himself before God, as many do to-day, but
when God spoke to him, and showed him his real state, he
cried out, "behold I am vile."— y^^ 49: 4. i*I abhor
myself, and repent in dust and ashes." — Job 42:6.

Isaiah says (40 years after General Booth says he (Isaiah)
got the blessing of holiness) "we are all as an unclean thing,
and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags." — Isaiah 64: 6.
And so every real christian, with Isaiah, in casting a glaace
back over his life, is led to the same conclusion; and
the nearer a man gets to God, the less will he think of
himself, and the worse and more unworthy will he feel
himself to be. And when he comes down to the bed of
death ; if ever he felt his own unworthiness, and if ever he
felt that nothing less than "Jesus' blood and righteousness"
will avail for him, he will feel it then.

But it is needless for us to multiply words to show that

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of

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the conduct of no one is perfect, because General Booth
himself admits that "man being an imperfect creature, is
plainly unable to keep the perfect law of God," yet he says
we can live without sin. Such ridiculous nonsense by one
who is the leader of thousands, is terrible in the extreme.

Again, there are some who say that "holiness does not
mean perfection of conduct, but perfection of love." Well,
admitting that it is perfection of love, it is very absurd to
suppose that it can be instantaneously attained. Why ?
Because my love to God depends on my knowledge of God,
and unless I can be made perfect ir> the knowledge of God,
all at once (which no sane man will admit), I cannot be
made perfect in the law of God instantaneously. If I can
be made perfect in the knowledge of vGod all at once, what
does Paul njean when he says, " grow in grace, and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ ? Paul saw
that it was necessary in order to grow in love to God, to
grow in the knowledge of God.

Growth implies gradual development. An infant does
not become a man in one day. Seed sown does not bring
forth fruit to perfection in one hour.

Sanctification is not a second blessing, apart from justifi-
cation. It is simply the result of a justifying ^aith.
Sanctification is begun in the heart of every oue who has
accepted Christ as his substitute, and that work is carried
on to perfection in the heart of every one who abides in
Christ by a justifying faith, carried on we know not how.

Some people run away with the idea that it is oaly the
entirely sanctified person who abides in Christ. This is sheer
nonsense, because it is through the act of abiding in Christ
that we are justified. It is impossible ^or us to be justified
and not to be abiding in Christ. The very moment I cease
to abide in Christ by a living faith, and to be clothed in the
garment of His righteousness; that very moment do I cease
to be justified in His sight. But to answer the question :
how ate we to grow in the knowledge of God ? Simply by
studying God's Word, or hearing it expounded. There is
no other way. The spirit of God does not work in the
heart of man apart from the word of God. The word of
God is called the sword of the spirit. And just in propor-
tion as I advance in the knowledge of God, through his

Word, will I love F To know God is to love Him.

And the more I kn A' Him the more will I love Kim.
Paul, in speaking of the effect of the Word of God on the
heart of the believer says, in 2«d!' Cor. j: iS, "But we all
with open face, beholding as in a glass the glory of the
Lord, are changed into the same image, from glory to glory,
even as by the spirit of the Lord." This passage, if there
were no other in the Bible, ought to be sufificient to prove
that holiness is not instantaneously wrought. He says, "we
are changed from g/ory to glory " into the image of God.
Not all at once. If Paul is not here describing the process
of sanctification in the soul, what is he describing ? He
tells us here how the work is carried on, viz : by beholding
as in a glass the glory of the Lord. The glass he refers to
is undoubtedly the word of God; through which the love of
God is revealed to us, and by beholding the love of God
our hearts are changed into the same image. Men grow
holy by gazing at a holy object. Man becomes assimilated
by degrees to the object of his worship. This has been the
case in all ages, and always will be, because man always
tries to imitate the object of his adoration, and by degrees
he becomes transformed into the same image.

Again, Paul says in Phil. 3: 12, "not as though I had
already attained, either were already perfect." The word
"attained" here refers to the resurrection of the dead.
Paul says that he had not attained to the resurrection of the
dead, neither was he already perfect ; he had not attained
to either of these conditions. He goes on to say in verses
13-14, "Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended,
but this one thing I do, forgetting those things that are
behind ; and reaching forth unto those things which are
before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high
calling of God in Christ Jesus." What was this high calling
of God ? It was a calling to holiness, and Pa' . says he
reached forward to it, he pressed towards it, but that he had
not yet attained to it. This was only about two years before
his death.

Again the blessed Saviour himself teaches that the work
of Holiness is gradual. He says in Mark 4: 26-2^^ " So is
the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the
ground ; and should sleep and rise night and day, and tne

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seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For
the earth bringeth forth fruit of itself; first the blade, then
the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the
fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle,
because the harvest is come." The kingdom which Jesus
refers to here is beyond a doubt the kingdom of grace ; the
kingdom which Jesus says is within you. And He com-
pares this work of grace, tc seed sown in the ground, whidi
progresses from one stage to another, until fruit is brought
forth, and then immediately the sickle is put in because iht
harvest is come. The sickle here means the messenger of
death, which transplants the soul from an earthly to a
heavenly atmosphere. And He says that this sickle is
immediately put in, when the fruit is brought forth.

Again, the parable of the mustard seed teaches us the
same thing in Mark 4 : 30-32. These are the words of the
blessed Lord himself, and they jilainly teach us that the
work of transformation or sanctification in the soul is
gradual. If they do not teach this, what do they teach?
If they do not teach this, they are ambiguous and meaning-
less. But these words are plain and easy to be understood.
Christ is here dealing with the question of sanctification,
and He tells us in words that we cannot possibly misunder-
stand, that it is gradual in development.

Again, in Matt. 13: 33^ Jesus says, "The kingdom of
heaven is like unto leaven which a woman took and hid in
three measures of meal till the whole was leavened." This
parable teaches us exactly the same thing as the preceding
parables. Paul says in Heb. 6 : i, "let us go on unto
perfection." Mark his words, "let us^' plainly showing that
he had not yet attained unto perfection. These words too
were written only about 2 years before his death. The
Psalmist too, describing the growth of the christian in
holiness, says, "They go from strength to strength," Ps. 84:
7. It puzzles me to see what room those people leave for
growth in grace, who preach instantaneous perfection;
because growth in grace simply means growth in holiness.
Probably there are some people who will say, it will not
do to strike low ground on the subject of sanctification.
I answer, it will not do to strike any higher ground than
God's word permits; and God's word tells me " if we say

we have no sin we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
us." And if the truth is not in us we are noi Justified, let
alone entirely sanctified; and if men are only deceiving them-
selves, the sooner they are undeceived the better for them.

No doubt there are some people who will say, that I do
not know the strength and numbers of the foe that I am
attacking. Well, I have some idea, and I would not care
if their number were increased ten-fold. I would say to
them what I believe to be right. If God be for us who can
be against us. "One" with truth on his side can "chase a
thousand, and two shall put ten thousand to flight." I
expect to be branded by my enemies as a wolf in sheep's
clothing, and as a servant of the devil in christian garb.
Although the Salvation Army does not hesitate to denounce
the doctrines of other denominations, yet, let another put
forth a finger to touch "one of their doctrines, and he is
generally denounced as a servant of the devil, and as doing
his work. We speak what we know, what we have heard
and seen.

I believe if -there is one abomination in this world greater
than another in God's sight, it is a man who says he lives
without sin. If these people could only see themselves as
God sees them they would come to a very different conclusion.
I don't know how such people can get down and pray, "for-
give us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against
us," seeing they do not trespass against God. Yet Jesus
positively commanded His disciples to pray after this manner.
Did not the Blessed Saviour know that before the end of time
there would be a people arise who would be so good that
they would not need to pray this prayer? We believe the
Saviour lived in blissful ignorance of this important fact. At
any rate He makes no provision for such a class of people.
He did not say, "you that live without sin need not pray
after this manner." But the Salvation Army has given up (to
a large extent at any rate) praying after this manner, and have
thrown the Lord's prayer to one side. They have got above
it, and instead of it their prayer in substance is, " Lord I
thank thee that I am not as other men are." In reality, we
fail to see any difference between the proud Pharisee who
uttered this self-righteous prayer, and the Salvation Army.

The Salvation Army says, "we do not take any glory to

thai

disi

Spi/
fatal
chaj

ourselves because we are better than others; we give all the
glory to God. It is He who has made us better, and who
keeps us better than others." Neither did the Pharisee take
any of the glory to himself. He said, " Lord 1 thank Thee
that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulter-
ers, or even as this publican ; I fast twice in the week, I give
tithes of all that I possess." This Pharisee did not thank
himself that he was better than other men, he thanked God
for it \ but he failed just where Salvation Army fails, and that
was to see anything wrong in himself, and to pray, "forgive
us our trespasses." He thought that in him there was no sin.
He trusted "that he was righteous and despised others." He
did not take his proper place before God, hence he was an
abomination in God's sight.

John Bunyan, in "Pilgrims' Progress," has aptly described
the Salvation Army in the character of "Ignorance." This
Ignorance would not believe that in his heart there was any
sin. He said that he was always full of good notions, and
that his life was always in accordance with God's command-
ments. In vain did Christian and Hopeful try to show him
his error; he went on self-deceived, and it appears that he
got over the river of death without the difficulties that Chris-
tian and Hopeful had. Vainhope ferried him across. He
even went up to the gate of Heaven, thinking it was all right,
only to find that it was all wrong, and Bunyan says, "I saw
there was a way to hell, even from the very gate of Heaven,
as well as from the City of Destruction." And I will add, I
believe that all who deceive themselves in this way will share
the same awful fate as poor self-deceived Ignorance. I believe
thpt such people will as surely go to hell, unless they repent,
»will the drunkard, the swearer, the thief, the liar, and every
other class of sinners. I do not believe that there are any
of these self-deluded mortals but at times have doubts
ailbut the goodness of their own hearts, and doubts as
t J^whether they do in reality live without sin, but thinking
that these doubts come from the devil, they at once
dismiss them from their minds, and so shut up their hearts
against all the influences of God's spirit. They mistake the
Spirit of God for the spirit of the devil, and so go on in the
fatal delusion that all is well. God never gives any man a
chance in this world to say conscientiously to his fellows,

"stand aside, I am holier than thou." (Jod's word
positively tells us that we are to esteem others better than
ourselves (/%//. 2:3). I would like to know how a man
who lives without sin, can esteem others better than himself.
Supposing that from now to the time I die, I should live
without sin, and supposing that just now every taint of sin
was eradicated from my soul, and I should continue to be
kept in such a state till I die, how during that period could
I esteem others better than myself. Others could be no
more holy, and I would be holy. Wherein would they be
better than I. I would like to know how General Booth
explains this passage, and how he can esteem others better
than himself. Does God tell me to esteem others better
than myself, when it is impossible for them to be better?
Away with such a thought. That would be God '^lling me
to act a lie, in acting contrary to the convictions of my own
heart, and acting a lie in God's sight is telling a lie. Did
Christ when He was on earth esteem others better than
Himself? Not at all, he could not do such a thing. Why?
Because He was holy and undefiled. Ke never committed
a sin, and hence it was impossible for him to esteem any
one else better than Himself. They could be no better.
The Father never commanded His Son to esteem others
better than Himself, but He has command ^ every one of
us erring mortals to do so. He says, "let each esteem
others better than himself," and each takes all in. Why has
God commanded us to do this? Because He knows that
there is none of us who live without sin. It can be for no
other reason whatever, unless I suppose that God tells me
to act a lie. The language of the heart of every one \ndbo
imagines he lives without sin, must be, " I am just as goji^
as you. and if you don't live without sin, I am better than
you, stand aside, I am holier than thou." This may not be
the language of their lips, but it cannot fail to be |l|e
conviction of their hearts ; hence it is impossible for thSn
really to esteem others better than themselves.

Guthrie says, " The christian is like the ripening corn ; the
riper he grows, the more lowly he bends his head."

General Booth, in order to uphold his theory of living
without sin, denies the obligation of the moral law. On
page 54 of Doctrine and Discipline of the Salvation Army

he says, "God does not require obedience to a law the
keeping of which he knows to be im|)ossibie." According to
this argument, it is a very easy thing to live without sin. If
God does not require obedience to His law, then there is
not a man on the face of the earth that commits sin. The
drunkard, the thief, the adulterer, the swearer, none of these
commit sin, if God does not require obedience to His
law, because their sin consists in breaking God's law. *' Be
not drunk with wine.'' ~£p/t. j: iS. "Thou shalt not
steal." — Ex. 20 : ij. "Thou shalt not commit adultery."
— Ex. 20:14. "Thou shalt not take the name of the
Lord thy God in vain. — Ex. 20: y. According to this
doctrine, it is very easy for General Booth or any other man
to live without sin. What folly to suppose that a breach of
God's law is not sin. General Booth, rather than admit
that he commits sin, teaches this ridiculous nonsense. He
strains at a gnat and swallows a camel.

The Salvation Army is just like Israel of old, as described
by Paul in the loth Chapter of Romans ; they had a zeal of
God but not according to knowledge. " For they being
ignorant of God's righteousness and going about to establish
their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto
the righteousness of God. For Christ is the end of the
law for righteousness to every one that believeth " — Kom.
10: 1-4. How General Booth and his followers try to
establish their own righteousness. What labor to make people
believe that they live without sin. What boasting that
they are righteous, and what a miserable failure it all is.
Their failures and defects are apparent to all, notwithstand-
ing all their fancied righteousness, and pretended superiority
to others. In the Gospel that Paul preached, all boasting
was •excluded. Not so with the Salvation Army : with them
boasting is encouraged, and the more a man tries to
establish his own righteousness, with them, the more he is
thought of. How different from the spirit manifested by
Paul, when he said, "Christ Jesus came into the world to
save sinners, of whom I am chief'' — ist Tim 1:15. Mark
his words, "I am chief" Not only ivas I the chief of
sinners, but in my own opinion, I am the chief of sinners
still. This is plainly the meaning of his words, and
without changing his words, they cannot be made to mean

anything else. And this has been the language of the heart
of every christian who has lived since Paul's day, as
they have realized their littleness of love to Him who has
done so much for them, and their many shortcomings, they
have been led to the same conclusion, *' I the chief of
sinners am." A pious godly Minister was once conversing
with a friend ; in the course of his conversation he made
this remark, " I consider myself the greatest sinner in the
world to-day." His friend replied that he could not see
how he could think so, because, said he, you do not commit
many of the glaring sins that others do, and besides you
have in you many good qualities." "Ah!" replied the
Minister, "if others had the same light, and the same
privileges that I have had, I doubt not but they would have
done far better than I have done." This spirit, and this
alone, is the spirit of humility. Charles Wesley, many years
after he was converted, gave utterance to these words : "false
and full of sin I am." No self-righteous boasting with him.
No going about to establish his own righteousness. No
trying to make people believe that he lived without sin.
How many there are in the world to-day who in Army
meetings and elsewhere, have sought for this "blessing of
holiness" under the delusion that God bestows it upon those
who are willing to surrender their all to Him. With this idea
in their minds they have given up one thing and then another;
they have tried giving up fashionable dress, feathers, flowers,
jewelry and so on; they have given themselves up to go
wherever they thought God wanted them to go, an^'. to do
what they thought God wanted them to do. They have tried
fasting, praying and giving large sums to benevolent purposes.
Some have shut themselves up in their rooms, and have said
they would never come out till they had received the blessing
of holiness. But alas ! they have had to come out. Some
have been driven to the borders of insanity, and some, we
doubt not, to insanity itself. Men have sought for it in all
these ways, and have been foiled in every attempt, and have
given up in despair, completely discouraged. Some have for
a time, tried to believe that all the evil in their nature was
gone, but ala.s, they have been soon led to the conclusion that
sin existed in them still. And, we ask, why all this disap-
pointment, and discouragement, and despair? We answer.

td
n|

ing
me
we
all
ave
for
was
that
sap-
wer,

one reason is, because these people imagine that it is on
account of the freeness of their hearts from sin, that they are
going to be accepted at the final day. [This soul-damning
error I have tried to refute in the chapter on justification].
And so after having tried every way to live without sin, and
having been foiled at every point, they give up in despair.
Another reason of their disappointment is, they seek for holi-
ness by the works of the law. That is through something
they must do or give up. But Paul positively affirms that
we receive the Spirit in no such way. (Gal. j: 2). We do
not receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or through
the works of the law, but simply by trusting in what Christ
has done, or in other words, depending on the perfect obedi-
ence of Jesus to the law of God for our salvation, and not in
our own obedience to God's law. And whenever we are led
to see that our salvation depends not on what we do, but in
trusting to what another has done, that moment are we filled
with love to God that cannot be expressed, and with joy and
peace. "And the fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, peace," &c.
This is how we receive the Spirit and in no other way. What
makes me love Jesus so much as the thought that it is His
righteousness that saves me and not my own ? what other
thought gives me such joy and peace ? John Angell James
says, "The way to have holiness increased is to look to Christ,
meditate on the sufficiency of His atonement, the perfection
of His righteousness, the riches of His grace. Instead of
laboring to love Christ, and becoming dejected that thou
dost not love Him more, take another course and dwell upon
the love of Christ to thee. Meditate on His amazing grace,
His most wonderful compassion. This, this is the way to
grow in love to Him, for if we love Him it is because He
first loved us. It is a great principle which I am anxious to
impress on you, that subjective religion, or religion in us, is
produced and sustained by fixing the mind on objective
religion." Or in other words, the love of Christ to us. This
then is how holiness is promoted in the heart, and any doc-
trine that teaches that my own works have anything to do
with my salvation, necessarily hinders holiness, because it
makes me think less of Christ and more of myself, and tends
to build me up in self-righteousness and pride. Hence, the
more free salvation is |)reached to men, the more is holiness

promoted in their hearts. Free salvation without works, or
without the deeds of the law, is the root and soil in which
holiness grows. Ignorance of this fact has led the Church
of Rome into many and grievous errors, and it has led
Arminian Protestants far, far from right and truth. As a
general rule, man in his ignorance is apt to think that it will
not do to tell men that God saves without their good works.
They fear men will not care how they live, if they know that.
They never made a greater blunder. The truth is, no soul
is in a position to bring forth good works until he knows his
salvation does not depend on his good works. And any
work that a person will not do, because he knows that that
work is not necessary to salvation, is just as well left undone,
because if done, supposing it were necessary to salvation, it
would be done with a wrong motive — from fear, not from love.
To illustrate this point: suppose I was a slave to a certain
man, and that man gave me a piece of work to do, inform-
ing me that if I failed to do it, I should be whipped. What
would prompt me to do that work? Not love; the thought
that he would whip me if I did not do the work would take
away all the love for him; and if I did the work, it would
simply be to escape punishment. On the other hand: sup-
posing I had a good master that had always treated me well,
and he gave me a piece of work to do, and I knew that
whether I did it or not I would not be whipped, but that my
master would still continue to be good and kind to me, would
it not be live that would prompt me to do that work? Even
so, those who say they have got to do God's will in order to
be saved, are serving God from fear and not from love, and,
all their works are only an abomination in God's sight,
because they spring from fear and not from love. Forced
obedience is in reality no obedience at all, hence it is a
stumbling-block in the way of holiness. God in His infinite
wisdom saw this, and He took another plan from what man
would have taken. The decree, "The soul that sinneth it
shall die," only made man hate God, and look upon Him as
a hard master, and the thought that engaged the mind of
God was how to bring back the love of man again to Himself
And how does He do this and yet maintain the honor of His
righteous law? He provides a Substitute who fulfils His law
in every point, who suffers all that man should have suffered

livi;
sim
not

and perfectly satisfies the demands of justice; and then He
comes to man and says "if you will only depend on the
perfect righteousness of that Substitute you will be saved,
without your good works." You are "justified by faith with-
out the deeds of the law." — Rom. j: 28. What effect does
this produce on the heart of man ? It fills him with aston-
ishment, wonder and love to think that God should offer him
eternal life on these terms. Now the aim of God is accom-
plished. Man's hatred to God is gone, and in its place there
is love. As man looks at the condition on which God saves
him, viz: trusting in the righteousness of another, he is filled
with love, joy and peace. What is the language of his heart
now? " I delight in the law of God." "The love of Christ
constraineth me." Now he strives to do the will of that God
whose boundless love fills him with wonder, love and praise,
not because he by so doing may attain eternal life, but because
God gives him eternal life without his good works. Oh the
boundless love and infinite wisdom of Jehovah ! how much
higher are His ways than man's ways, and His thoughts than
man's thoughts. In what a wondrous way did He move, in
order to bring back the affections of man to Himself, and to
purge his conscience from dead works, to serve the living
God. And so God's law is established, and set on a firmer
basis than ever — the basis of love.

The Salvation Army, by maintaining that living without
sin is necessary to eternal life, has, in reality, defeated its
own aim, and the aim of God too. They have tried to
force men into obedience, by telling them of the punishment
that awaited them if they did not obey, forgetting that every-
thing connected with salvation is absolutely free. And they
have built themselves up in self-righteousness and unholi-
ness of the darkest and most hateful kind in the sight of
God. General Booth says he does not believe in the
doctrine of sinless perfection. Oh no. Well, what is the
meaning of the words, "sinless perfection?" The plain
meaning of the words is this, "perfection without sin." He
says he does not believe in this, but he believes we can
live without sin. What sort of sense is this ? What is
living without sin but sinless perfection. General Booth is
simply trying here to split hairs. If living without sin is
not sinless perfection, what is sinless perfection? What

more can a man do than live without sin in order to be
sinlessly perfect ? What more did Adam do before he fell
than live without sin ? What more did the Lord Jesus
Christ do? They did no more. And I repeat the
question, if a man is living without sin, what is the next
thing that he has to do in order to be sinlessly perfect?
Will General Booth please answer this question. It will
evidently take some one with a little more brains than
General Booth to formulate a creed unless he wants to
show his ignorance.

We defy anyone to produce a single man in scripture,
who ever got up in an audience and made this assertion, I
live without sin. Why did they not say it ? because they
realized that they did not live without sin, hence they could
not say it. Jesus Christ was the only one that could say,
** which of you convinceth me of sin." — John 8 : 46. The
proud Pharisee came the nearest to this of any other person
mentioned in Scripture. And what was the character of
this Pharisee? He was a man that made a great profes-
sion, a man that had a great zeal for God, a man that
thanked God for keeping him better than other men, and a
man that could see no faults in himself If the Salvation
Army of to-day does not answer to this description of the
Pharisee, then there are no Pharisees in the world ; they
have all left, and they cannot be found. Chrysostom says,
" he who thinks h hath attained everything, hath attained
nothing." The reason why the Salvation Army have erred
on sanctification, is because they have erred on the doctrine
of justification. One necessarily follows the. other.

THE SACRAMENT OF THE LORD'S SUPPER.

I would like to know what authority General Booth has
for throwing aside at least in practice if not in theory, the
ordinance of ihe Lord's Supper? Certainly he has no
authority in God's word for so doing, because it positively
says, "this do in remembrance of me." — Luke 22: 19.
I St Cor. II : 24.

We know that the Lord's Supper is not essential to salvation,
but then, are we to disobey a positive command of Jesus,
under the plea that it is not necessary to salvation ? Are
we to sin, because grace abounds? Jesus says, "if ye love
me keep my commandments." — fohn 14: 15. And when
did this command of Jesus, cease to be binding on the
Church ? Paul tells us that this ordinance is to be observed
till Jesus comes. " For as often as ye eat this bread and
drink this cup, ye do show the Lord's death //// He conies
ist Cor. II : 26. Jesus says, "This do in remembrance of
me." — Luke 22 : 19. And Paul admonishes the Church to
observe this command, and that //// Jesus comes. And yet
in the face of all this, along comes General Booth and says,
there is no need to do it, and practically he throws the
whole thing to one side. Evidently, in his own opinion, he
is higher authority than either Jesus Christ, or Paul. Such
self-conceit is awful in the extreme. General Booth says (in
Doctrine and Discipline of Salvation Army, page 90), "when
this ordinance is helpful to the faith of our soldiers, we re-
commend its adoption," but it is evident to all, that he never
thinks that it is helpful, as his conduct goes to show. If he
thought it helpful he would practice it. Did Jesus say,
when this ordinance is helpful to you do it, and when it is
not, you need not do it? Not at all. His positive
command is, "this do." Again, we would like General
Booth to tell us when this ordinance is helpful, and when it
is not? at what particular time and under what circum-
stances is it helpful, and when not 'lelpful ? What was the
design of Jesus in instituting this ordinance? Was it not to
keep men in remembrance of how His body was broken for
them, and how His blood was shed for them in order that

their love to Him might be increased. Where is the soul
that has appropriated the benefits of Christ's death to itself,
that can sit down to the table of the Lord, and not be
forcibly reminded of the agonies and sufferings of its dying
Lord, in its behalf. Thus our love to him is increased.
It is by beholding the love of Jesus to us, that we are led
to love Him in return. " We love Him because He first
loved us." — ist John 4: 19. "We all with open face,
beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed
into the same image, from glory to glory, even as by the
spirit of the Lord." — 2nd Cor. 3 : 18.

Why was the feast of the Passover instituted ? To keep
vividly before the minds of the children of Israel the great
goodness of God towards them, the night the destroying
angel passed through the land of Egypt, and destroyed the
first-born of the Egyptians, and yet spared them though
perhaps they lived very little better than the Egyptians.
And the children of Israel were commanded to keep this
Passover, to remind them of the hour when God took
vengeance on their enemies, and delivered them from the
sword of the destroying angel, and from the yoke of
Egyptian bondage. " And it shall come to pass when your
children shall say unto you, what mean ye by this service?
That ye shall say, it is the sacrifice of the Lord's Passover,
who passed over the houses of the children of Israel in
Egypt, when he smote the Egyptian, and delivered our
houses." — Exod, 12 : 26-27. And if the children of Israel
were commanded to commemorate this event, in order to
keep before their minds the great goodness of God towards
them, how much more will not the Blessed Saviour expect
us to obey His command, and keep in remembrance the
hour when His body was broken for us, when the wrath of
God was poured out upon Him in order that we might go
free; when in bitterness of soul He was led to exclaim,
"My God! My God! why hast thou forsaken me?" —
{Mark 15:34). How much more should we keep in re-
membrance the hour when He "redeemed us from the curse
of the law being made a curse for us." The hour when He
was crowned with thorns, when His feet were spiked. His
hands and side pierced; when He was made a spectacle
to men and devils; and the hour when He made it possible

^^''^'irt'2°iZT '":'"■' ''"'■' ^-nd when H.
this, and can we sav iZ u- r ^ '^''^^^^d Lord ask „., j '

It is as I ^ """'"^ ''^'^""^^

Bl«sed.Cdas:ny"ottrt,::t?;if "['^ -"-and of the

^^^l^nli^S---te^^^^
not aa.inL:rTng"/h:i;|!-;V''^ Salvation Army g,Ve for

a her . !^^ J^"' '^^''"n fo<: neglect nth ^"'^ "^^ ""hether

does Paul l^""fy ""d another drunken^?' u"f^ ''^^^
^e «ay,. IfUTaTeSng^,"tet d'"^t -~nc f ' ^^1

i"Y^He;-t"h^;. S"e?ad rt^^f ^^of^ tL'° S^

which^he^had ptx"";/'' °" --"«'o ?h"::;^"f

to administer a'^d p ?ake tf ^'"'^ "^^" '""^"ctions'^^ow
.' n^n' fhe'o^^ ^°^f -'"o^tMUrstr. "°«
-e going tol:^ dru^k ^r^,^ !'°"^ ^^^ WrweiriFS
"''"'Paul says, or whaMe „; rT '' '° °"^ ^'<^'-" "o Sir
than they do. Such self-concekS . ''^^''' ^ '^"ow be te

ot the Lord Jesus know ,vhe„ 'h^ ""''"^"y '=* terrible! ] ,d
"•-would be some ..nk^^". wKufd^Sr,i?

and accept Him as their Saviour ? Why then did He not
exempt them from obedience to thia command ? Because
in his infinite -visdom He did not see fit to do so. He saw
that its power for good was greater than its power for evil.
He knew what effect it would have on the human heart
better than General Booth knows, though, evidently, General
Booth thinks that He did not. Would Jesus in His infinite
wisdom, and fore-knowledge, and love, as He glanced down
the ages of the future — if He had seen that the observance
of this ordinance would bo the means of ruining souls —
have said, "this do in remembrance of Me?" Away with
such a thought. Would the Blessed Saviour in bis boundless
love and compassion — if He had seen that obedience to this
command would bring no blessing to man, and no glory to
Himself — have said, "this do in remembrance of Me.""
Jesus would never urge obedience to this command, if, by
obeying it, no benefit would be brought to man, or no glory
to Himself He is too wise to err, and He saw that man by
obeying this command, and so bringing vividly before his
mind, all that He had suffered for him, would by so doing
be led to love Him more.

May be General Booth is afraid that some of his followers
may eat and drink unworthily. Well, what is eating and
drinking unworthily 1 Paul says it was to eat and drink, not
discerning the Lord's body ; or in other words, not discerning
that the bread and wine, represented the body and blood of
Jesus, that was broken and shed for them. It was- to bring
this to their remembrance that the Blessed Saviour instituted
it. And the soul that failed to see what it represented,
could not be spiritually benefited by it in any way whatever.
They would only be perverting the design the Blessed
Saviour had in instituting this ordinance. Paul is not here
referring to the worthiness or unworthiness of the individual
who partakes of it, because no one is in reality worthy*
But he is simply referring to the object tbey have in partak-
ing of it. Whether it is to bring to remembrance the
sufferings of Jesus for them, or to eat because it is a rule of
the "Church, or merely to gratify the desires of the flesh by
eating. If the two laitcr was their object in partaking of it,
they ate and drank unworthily. The soul that has accepted
Christ aiKl His righteousness as its only hope of salvation^

and discerns what the bread and wine represents, need not
fear of eating and drinking unworthily, although it may
realize that it has many failings and shortcomings. The
Blessed Saviour wants all such to come to His table, and to
partake of this ordinance. His injunction to these is, "this
do in remembrance of me." Paul does not use the word
^'"unworthy" but ''''unworthily^ He does not say, "you who
are worthy may eat of it, but you who are umaorthy must
not," if that were his language we would all be excluded.
But his language is, "he that eateth and drinketh
unworthily" that is, in an unworthy manner^ "not discern-
ing the Lord's Body," eateth and drinketh damnation to
himself. The word "damnation" here, is said on good
authority to be a mistranslation. Paul is said not to have
meant here, that even they that ate and drank unworthily,
ate and drank eternal punishment to themselves, if he did,
their sin would be unpardonable, and so instead of there
being only one sin unto death, \%\.John 5: i6, there would
be two ; unless we suppose that this is the sin unto death,
an idea that Scripture will in no wise substantiate. Eating
and drinking unworthily would not be sinning against the
Holy Ghost, which is the unpardonable sin, but it would be
sinning against the Son of Man; and "all manner of sin and
blasphemy against the Son of Man shall be forgiven."
The right translation of the word "damnation" here, is said
to be "judgment," and that "judgment" is described as
temporal in v. 30, of the same chapter, which reads as
follows: "for this cause many are weak and sickly among
you, and many sleep." That is, spiritually weak and sickly;
the necessary result of eating and drinking, not discerning
the Lord's Body.

But after all, we can hardly suppose that it is the fear of
eating and drinking unworthily, that keeps General Booth
and his followers from obeying the command of the Blessed
Saviour, for surely if there is anyone in the world who would
have no fear of eating and drinking unworthily, it would be
those who imagine they live without sin. Surely if anyone
is worthy they are, so they should have no fears whatever.

Really we are at a loss to know what is the cause of their
neglect in this matter; unless it be their self-conceit,—
imagining they arc wiser than God, and know what will

bring a blessing to man, and honor and glory to God,
better than He knows Himself. It must be either this, or
wilful and obstinate disobedience to a positive C9mmand of
the Blessed Saviour.

BAFnSM.

When the Blessed Saviour was about to part from His
disciples on Mount Olivet, and ascend to Heaven, He gave
them this commission: "Go ye therefore and teach all na-
tions, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost: teaching them to observe all
things whatsoever I have commanded you" — Matt. 28: ig, 20.
The extent of this commission, as will be observed, is "a//
nations^^^ present and future, from the time the commission
was given down to the end of time. The command is to
teach and baptize them. It is not our intention to enter into
H any dispute whatever as to what baptism is a symbol of, or

the exact mode of its performance; we desire simply to con-
fine ourselves to the command, "teach and baptize all nations."

In the first place, the baptism that Jesus referred to here
must be a 7vater baptism^ because it is the prerogative of God
alone to baptize with the Holy Ghost. Is there a man on earth
so foolish as to suppose that he can baptize one of his fellow-
creatures with the Holy Ghost 1 We do not suppose there is.
The Church in all ages has always understood this to mean
a water baptism, and as such they have performed it. Peter
understood this to mean a water baptism, when on the day
of Pentecost he baptized three thousand people. — Acts 2: 41.
Philip understood it to mean a water baptism, 'rhen he bap-
tized the people of Samaria (Acts 8: 12) and the Ethiopian
eunuch. Again, Peter understood it to mean a water baptism,
when he baptized Cornelius and his household. He says,
"can any man forbid water^ that these should not be
baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as
we." — Acts \o\ 47. Although those people had received
the Holy Ghost^ yet Peter was careful to obey the command

of his Lord, and to baptize them with water also. Ananias
understood it to mean a water baptism, when he baptized
Saul of Tarsus, Acts 9: i8. Paul understood it to mean a
water baptism, when he baptized the Philipian jailor and
his household. Acts 16: 33. And our Blessed Lord un-
doubtedly referred to a water baptism when he said to his
Disciples, "go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing
them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the
Holy Ghost; teaching them to observe all things whatscaver
I have commanded you." Does General Booth teach men
to observe all things that the Blessed Lord commanded His
Disciples to do? Not at all. He teaches men that it is no
matter how much they disobey the two positive commands
of Jesus, viz: the Lord's Supper and Baptism. Hence he
is one of the false teachers, that Peter prophesied should
arize, whose lingered not, and whose damnation slumbered
not. — 2nd Peter 2 : 3. On page 90 of Doctrine and
Discipline of the Salvation Army, General Booth says, " does
the Army consider baptism as a duty that must be performed?
Decidedly not. The Army only considers one baptism
essential to salvation, and that is the baptism of the Holy
Ghost. But was not baptism by water quite a common rite
among the early christians ? Yes. And so was circumcision,
shaving the head, washing the feet of saints, and many other
Jewish ceremonies, which were never intended to be bin Jing
on our practice and consciences." Here is the noble
General's view of Baptism. He classes it with circumcision,
shaving the head, washing the feet of saints and other
Jewish ceremonies. I ask were circumcision, shaving the
head, or washing the feet of saints; and other Jewish
ceremonies, positive commands of the Lord Jesus ? Does
He say, "go ye therefore and teach all nations, baptizing*
them, and circumcising them, and shaving their heads, and
washing their feet, and so on ? Does He mix them all up
together as General Booth does? Not at all. His
command is, "go ye therefore and teach all nations,
baptizing them." He gives his Disciples to understand in
plain language, what He wants them to do and makes no
allusion whatever to circumcision, shaving the head, and the
other Jewish ceremonies. General Booth as good as says
that Baptism was "never meant to be binding on our

practice and consciences." Will His Lordship tell us, since
he is possessed of so much wisdom, when it ceased to be
"binding." Can he give us the exact date. It really is
important for us to know, if the command has ceased to be
obligatory, when it ceased to be so. The Blessed Saviour
Himself tells us when this command will cease to be binding,
and that is when " all nations" have been baptized, and not
before. The command to baptize is just as broad in its
application as is the command to teach, Jesus did not
say, " go yc therefore and teach all nations and baptize the
half of them. The command is teach all and baptize all.
General Booth has just as good a right to tell men that the
command to teach is not binding, as to tell them that the
command to baptize is not binding, one is as broad as the
other. It is a wonder that General Booth does not say
that none of the commands of the Lord Jesus are binding.
He has just as much reason to do this as to tell us that the
command to baptize is not " binding." It is a wonder that
he does not usurp the throne of Deity, and inform mortals
what commands of the Saviour are absolute, and what are
not. The best General Booth can do in his ])resent state of
mind, is to make a bible for himself and his followers, as
the one that God has given us does not suit his whimsical
ideas. He appears to know what is good for man and what
is not, better than God Himself, and what commands of the
Saviour are out of date, and what ones are not, so the best
thing that he can do, is to make a new bible for himself and
his followers, and throw the old one aside entirely.

We do not profess to believe, that the rite of baptism is
essential to salvation ; but I ask again, " shall we continue
in sin that grace may abound?" The plea that General
Booth uses as a reason for neglecting the rite of baptism is,
"it is not essential to salvation.' As well might he say,
there is no need that we should refrain from swearing, or
stealing, or lying, or cheating, because it was not essential
to salvation. The rite of baptism is just as essential to
salvation, as any other work we can perform, faith excluded,
and it is just as binding as any other precept or command
of the Blessed Lord.

A FEW REMARKS ON SILVER COLLECTIONS.

When the Blessed Lord sent out the twelve disciples to
preach the glad news of salvation, He gave this command:
" Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out
devils; freely ye have received^ freely give,^^ — Matt. lo: 8.
They were to bestow all the blessings of the gospel freely
upon all men, rich and poor, learned or illiterate, black or
white, bond or free, — they were all to receive the glad news
of salvation without money and without price. I ask the
Salvation Army, honestly and candidly, have they obeyed
this command of Jesus, '■^ freely ye have received, freely give V
When the Blessed Lord empowered His disciples to perform
all these wonderful miracles upon the bodies of men, think'
ing that perhaps they might be tempted to charge for the
cures they wrought, He gave them this command to deter
them from so doing, so that men could not have the least
reason to suspect that it was all a money-making scheme.
The Salvation Army, instead of following this golden rule of
the Lord Jesus, have taken upon themselves, as they have
in other things, to disobey this command, and to follow their
own whims and fancies, or the whims and fancies of their
leaders. We really are at a loss to see what good the bible
in its present state is to such a people. They set up their
own ideas in preference to God's word, as their standard of
action. I ask General Booth or any other Salvationist where
in God's word do they find a command to take silver col-
lections in order to let people go m to hear the gospel? (so
called). Of course we know that they claim to be led by
the Spirit in doing these things. What I led by the Spirit
to disobey a positive command of Jesus? What an ideal
If they are led by any spirit to disobey the command of
Jesus it is by the spirit of the devil. The Spirit of God
never leads in direct opposition to the word of God. In
dealing with men it is the word of God that the Spirit uses.
Hence, the word of God is called the sword of the Spirit.
As well might a man say that he was led by the Spirit to
steal or lie, as to say that he was led by the Spirit to charge

a man lo or 20 cents, as the cast, may be, to let him in to
hear the gospel. If they can find the least shadow of sup-
port from God's word for so doing, either by precept or
example, then 1 will confess that I know nothing about God's
word. And if the word of God does not positively con-
demn it both by precept and example then I have ne^er read
the word of God.

Suppose the Blessed Lord when he was on earth, going
into the Temple or one of the Synagogues, to preach the
Gospel, and dispatching one of His Disciples to take up a
silver collection at the door. No sane man will suppose that
Jesus ever did such a thing. He always acted on the rule
he gave to His Disciples, "freely give." The invitations of
God to man is, *'ho, every one that thirsteth, come ye i j the
waters, and he that hath no money, come ye, buy and eat;
yea, come, buy wine and milk zuithout money and ivithout
price.^^ — ha 55: i. The invitation of the Salvation Army
in many cases is, come with 10 or 20 cents in your pocket,
in order to get in to see the proceedings. And I have
known cases where men who have not had the money, or
who have been unwilling to pay, have been refused admit-
tance. I remember two cases in particular of this kind.
On** w ^s that of a civil, well-behaved young man who came to
the meeting, not knowing anything about the silver collec-
tion, and was refused admittance, because he had not the
money to pay. The other was the case of a young man
who was a member of a Church that they took possession of
without permission, to hold forth in, and for which they
paid no rent whatever. This young man came to their
meeting one night and was positively denied admittance,
because he did not feel like paying to get into the Church
that he belonged to, and for which they paid no rent, and
which they never had a proper permission to occupy. No
doubt cases similar to these could be multiplied by the
score. How do such actions as these correspond with the
teaching of God's word? How do they correspond with
the actions of Christ and his Apostles? Take the example
of the Apostle Paul for instance ; what does he say about
the collection for the saints, when giving ordera to the
Church at Corinth. Here are his orders, "now concerning
the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the

Churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of
the week, let every one of you lay by in store as the Lord
hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I
come."— ist Cor. 16: 1-2. General Booth's ordei would be
a very different one ; it would be something like this : "tell
the people to bring 25 cents with them, because when I
come, we must take a silver collection at the door." I ask
people of common sense which of these two orders is
right, Paul's or General Booth's? They both cannot be
right ; because one is directly in the teeth of the other. If
Paul's is right, then of necessity, General Booth's must be
wrong. The Holy Ghost inspired Paul to give to the
Church a mode of collecting money for the support of the
Gospel, which should be binding on the Church in all ages ;
and this mode is not taking silver collections at the door,
and keeping out those who are too poor, or unwilling to pay
for admittance. No doubt General Booth will say of Paul's
mode of collecting money as he says of some other com-
mand of the Blessed Lord, " That it was never intended to
be binding on our practice and consciences." We will
simply leave such a statement as this to his ignorance.

We do not say that those who preach the Gospel should
not live of the gospel, nay, we believe they should. Jesus
says, "the laborer is worthy of his hire" — Luke 10 ; 7, and
Paul says, " even so hath the Lord ordained that they which
preach the Gospel, should live of the Gospel."— ist Cor. 9 :
14. But to fix a certain sum that men are exected to pay,
in order to get in to hear the word of God expounded, is
decidedly unscriptural and sinful. Paul would have scorned
the very idea of doing such a thing. He says, "what is my
reward then ? Verily, that when I preach the Gospel, I may
make ihe Gospel of Christ r ithout charge^ that I abuse not
my power in the Gospel." — ist Cor 9: 18; and again
" For ye remember brethren, our labor and travail : for
laboring night and day, because we would not be chargeable
unto any of you, we preached unto you the Gospel of God."
— ist Thess. 2:9; and again, "neither did we eat any
man's bread for nought ; but wrought with labor and travail
night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of
you : not because we have not power, but to make ourselves
an ensample unto you to follow us."— 2nd lliess. },: 89.

Paul did this for an example to those that should follow ;
but General Booth and his followers ignored his example,
and the example of all the other Apostles, and the positive
command and example of the Lord Jesus himself, and
instead of taking God's word as their guide they follow their
own whims and imaginations.

I was once conversing with a captain of the Army on this
subject, and said he, "Oh, we could not pay expenses if we
did not take silver collections." Why, this very thing ought
to show him that there was something wrong in the whole
system. God never requires his people to do evil that good
may come. God's kingdom cannot be advanced by dis-
obeying His commands. Doing the devil's work won't bring
honor and glory to God. And if the Salvation Army can-
not be upheld in any other way than by breaking a positive
command of the Lord Jesus, then there is something sadly
wrong in the whole system, and the sooner it comes down
the better.

We do not suppose that many people have been severely
injured by being kept out of Salvation Army meetings,
because if they were admitted it is not gospel they would
hear unless thev heard more than ever I did or read in their
books and papers; but this is no reason why they should be
kept out of ^ place where the gospel is pretended to be
preached.

No doubt the Salvati jn Army will say to me, "Oh ! you're
persecuting us." But of course it is not persecution for
them to tell a drunkard that it's wrong to get drunk, it is
not persecution for them to tell a thief it is wrong to steal,
it is not persecution for them to point out the inconsist-
encies of other people; but for another to tell them that it
is wrong/?/- them to disobey God's positive commands, is to
persecute them. Persecution has come to be a queer thing
in these days. Instead of being suffering for the cause of
right and truth it is suffering for the cause of wrong. God's
word says, "For what glory is it, if when ye be buffeted for
you faults ye take it patiently? but if when ye do well and
suffer for it, ye take it patiently, this is acceptable with God."
— {ist Peter, 2; 20). This is persecution ana this alone:
"doing well and suffering for it." Doing wrong and suffering
for it, is not persecution. No doubt the devil tries to per-

fi7

suade the Salvation Army that they are persecuted a great
deal, and hence they must be a very good people. Instead
of taking God's word xis their guide, on a great many points
they take General Booth for their guide, and then because
christian men denounce them they console themselves with
the thought that they are a wonderfully persecuted people,
** persecuted for righteousness sake," when all the time they
are simply being denounced for their obstinate disobedience
to God's commands. How the enemy of their souls must
laugh up his sleeve at their ignorance and folly on this point.
We have heard officers of the Army say, "Oh, we take the
collection at the door to prevent the confusion there would
be by taking it inside." This is "straining at a gnat and
swallowing a camel," disobeying a positive command of
Jesus to prevent a little confusion. And again they say,
"Oh we do it to keep out the more disturbing element of
the crowd." Why we thought that this was the very class
of people they were after. They may make all the excuses they
like, and try to make all the false impressions they like on
the minds of the people, but the sum and substance of the
matter is this: they want money, and they know that if they
don't take the collection at the door th'^^v will come short.
General Rooth is evidently fond of money, and he does not
appear to care how much he breaks God's commands, or
how much his followers break them, in order to get it. I
suppose he thinks that "the end will justify the means,"
which is simply a lie of the enemy of souls. But we sup-
pose it is not a sin for General Booth to break God's
commands, since he is Pope of the Salvation Army, which
he is in power, if not in name. Of course a Pope can't do
wrong; no matter what he does, he must be led by the
Spirit, he can break God's commands all he likes and yet
live "'ithout sin. What a wonderfully favored gentleman he
is. What wisdom he is possessed of. What superior
knowledge. He is capable of telling men what commands
of God they must keep, and what ones they may break at
pleasure and yet not sin.

SWEARING-IN SOLDIERS.

This again is something we defy any Salvationist to find
Scripture for either by command or exemplification. But
on the other hand it is positively denounced both by precept
and example. If General Booth can find Scripture for it in
his bible^ we cannot find scripture for it in the bible that was
written by the prophets and apostles.

The bible does not in any way encourage rash vowing,
and to make the best of this swearing-in business, it is
making a very rash vow; a vow that Jesus Christ never
asked His to make, and a vow that none of the Apostles ever
asked their converts to make.

It is plain to be seen that General Booth must think
himself and his successors infallible, otherwise he would
never try to make men bind themselves to be true to him
and them. Even if the Salvation Army was ever so right
now would it be impossible for it to go astray? Can
General Booth give any pledge to the public, that all his
successors will be the kind of men they ought to be? Can
he see fifty years into the future and discover what the Army
will be like then ? Decidedly not. Then why does he try
to make men bind themselves to be true to it ? It is one of
the greatest attempts at tyranny and despotism that can be
conceived of. General Booth is one of the greatest tyrants
that ever trod the face of the earth. Not content with
trying to bind men to be true to himself, he tries to bind
them to be true to his successors. He is evidently very
much interested in the financial success of his progeny, who
for aught he knows may be the greatest tyrants and hypo-
crites in existence. If General Booth had the foreknowledge
of God, it would not be so bad for him to try to bind men,
but since he has not, it is villainy for him to attempt it.

It i)ays General Booth's children to be religious, they get
high i)ositions, and lots of money for being so. They are
wise enough to know on which side their bread is buttered.
If this "swearing-in business" brought any blessing to
man, or any glory to God, it might be tolerated ; but it does
not ; it is not possible for it to do so in the least dc^; je.

And the Blessed Lc-d positively condemns it. He says in
Matt. 5 : 33-37, " Again ye have heard that it hath been
said by them of old time, thou shalt not forswear thyself,
but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths. But I say
unto you swear not at all: neither by heaven, for it is God's
throne : nor by the earth for it is His footstool : neither by
Jerusalem for it is the city of the Great King. Neither
shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make
one hair white or black. But let your communication be
yea, yea, nay, nay, for whatsoever is more than these,
Cometh of evil." When Christ said, "ye have heard that it
hath been said by them of old time" he undoubtedly
referred to Numbers 30 : 2, which reads thus : " if a man
vow a vow unto the Lord, or swear an oath to bind his
soul with a bond, he shall not break his word, he shall do
according to all that proceedeth out of his mouth," and to
Deut. 23 : 21 : "when thou shalt vow a vow unto the Lord
thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it ; for the Lord thy
God will surely require it of thee." But what says Christ
about this matter of vowing. " But I say unto thee swear
not at air which simply means, vow not at all, "neither by
heaven nor by earth, nor by the city of the Great King,
neither by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair
white or black." Jesus Christ referred his disciples here to
what Moses said on the subject of vows. Moses never
urged men to vow, but simply to pay the vows they made.
In Deut. 23 : 22, he says, " but if thou shalt forbear lo vow,
it is no sin in thee ;" and Jesus Christ makes known his
will to us in this matter, and says, "swear not at all," or vow
not at all. James undoubtedly refers to the same thing
when he says, " but above all things my brethren swear not,
neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any
other oath ; but let your yea, be yea, and your nay, be
nay; lest ye fall into condemnation." — James 5: 12. He
admonishes them above all things not to do this. And yet
in the face of this command of Jesus, and this admonition
of James, along comes General Booth and teaches men to
vow and bind themselves upon oath to be true to him and
his followers.

But after all, we cannot wonder so very much to see
(General Booth breaking the commands of Ciod's Word, be-

cause on page 88 of '* Doctrine and Discipline of the Salva-
tion Army " he terms the Bible " a dead book," he says,
"The livings active^ positive agency of God^ is comparatively
shut out of the world, and a dead book placed in its stead."
This is his view of God's Word. Paul had quite a different
opinion to this. He says, " For the word of God is quick
and poiverful, and sharper than any two-edged sword,
piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit,
and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart." It was no dead book
with Paul. He represented it as the sword that the Spirit
used to convince men of sin, and point them the way to
life. The work of the Spirit is not to speak of Himself,
but to take of the things of God and reveal them to man.
The Spirit uses nothing but God's Word to convince men of
sin ; nothing but God's Word to show them the way to life,
and nothing but God's Word to tell men their duty to their
God and their fellow men. The Spirit would be powerless
without the Word of God, because it would have no sword
to smite with. Yet General Booth calls the very thing that
the Spirit uses to convince men of sin, to point them the
way to life, and to tell them their duty to God and their
followmen, "a dead book." Is it any wonder when this is
his opinion of God's Word, that he teaches men to disobey
it, and in reality sets himself up as higher authority than
that Word?

General Booth has both added to and taken from the
Word of God. He has added " silver collections " and the
" swearing-in " business, and he has taken away, practically
at least, the Sacrament of the Lord's Supper and the Ordi-
nance of Baptism. And the judgments of the Most High
are pronounced against him. " If any man shall add unto
these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are
written in this book : and if any man shall take away from
the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take
away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy
city, and from the things that are written in this book." —
Rev. 22 : i8-ig. Let General Booth remember that these
are not our judgments, but the judgments of Almighty God.

How many souls at the great reckoning day will wake up
to the fact that they have been terribly befooled by General

t
ti

Booth and his doctrines. How many souls will curse him
through all eternity for calling God's method of justification
a "cheat of the devil," and leading them astray on the very
point that their soul's salvation hinged on. Like " Chris-
tian" of "Pilgrims' Progress," who tried to persuade
"Ignorance" of his danger so that he might fly to Jesus
and clothe himself in His righteousness, even so, in this
little book, have I done my little best to show the self-
righteous Salvation Army their danger, before they ever-
lastingly perish in their own deceivings. If they will not
take warning I can only say, their blood be upon their own
heads. I have warned them because I love them, and
because I love Him who redeemed them. It makes me
feel sad to think that a people so zealous as they are will at
last wake up to find that they have been terribly deceived.
I feel confident that if they will still persist in the way they
are in, real peace they will never know, a false peace they
may have, but an uninterrupted peace they will never have.
I do pray that all who read this little book may be led
before the messenger of death summons them away, to see
their own wretchedness, so that they may fly to the Lord
Jesus, and clothe themselves in the garments of His personal
righteousness^ and then, and only then, will they be safe for
time and eternity.

CONCI^USION.

In conclusion I may say I am of opinion that the down-
fall of the Salvation Army, and every other denomination
that preaches justification by any other way than ^''imputed
righteousness^' is only a question of time ; because in their
gospel (so-called) there is no attracting power. They may
hold unto their forms, but they are void of power. But in
the doctrine of imputed righteousness there is power. A
power that carried men in the days of the reformation to
the stake, and through the tortures of the Spanish Inquisi-
tion. And a power that carried the "Scottish Covenanters"

through seas of blood, and bitter persecutions. A ])ower
that carried men through the fires of Smithfield. We ask
Mrs. Booth to consider these facts before she again
denounces this doctrine as a " cheat of the devil," and
to beware lest the blood of souls be found on her garments.
The Salvation Army is zeai'ous, but that will not save
them. The Church of Rome is just as zealous as they
are. Israel of old was zealous enough to compass sea and
land to make one proselyte, but it was all of no avail.
Nowhere in Scripture do we see zeal represented as a
fruit of the Spirit. Zeal without a right knowledge of the
way of salvation is worse than useless, because it only leads
men the wrong way. Conscience, in order to lead a man
the right way, must be rightly informed, otherwise it is only
a false guide to him. Let no Salvation Army officer for a
moment suppose that: it was God who led him to offer him-
self for the field ; it was simply his conscience, and his
conscience was misinformed. What leads young women of
the Church of Rome to give themselves up to lives of
seclusion in convents and nunneries? Is it God's Spirit?
Not at all. They think it is, but it is simply their conscience
and their conscience misinformed. What led the Hindoo
mother to throw her babe into the river Ganges ? Was it
God's Spirit? Not at all. It was simply her conscience,
and her conscience was misinformed. What led Saul of
Tarsus to Damascus to hail Christain men and women to
prison? Not God's Spirit, although he assuredly thought
it was. It was a misinformed conscience.

I have heard Salvation Army officers say, " I remember
the very place and time when God called me for the field."
So can that young woman remember the time when she
thought God called her to a life of seclusion in the convent.
Paul could remember the time when something told him to
persecute the sect called Christains. Was it God's Spirit
led him to do this ? Not at all. Neither did God's Spirit
ever lead a man to offer himself for Salvation Army work
because their doctrines are in direct opposition to the Word
of God. It was simjily the imaginations of a misinformed
mind and conscience.

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Full text of "The doctrines of the Salvation Army and the Bible compared, or, Why I left the Salvation Army [microform]"

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